Presque Isle Bay Area of Concern

Presque Isle Bay in Lake Erie was designated as an Area of Concern under the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. In February 2013, after reviewing the success of cleanup activities, Presque Isle Bay was removed from the binational list of AOCs.

What happens after delisting?

Removing Presque Isle Bay from the AOC list does not mean that the bay is completely clean or that work will stop.  EPA will continue to collaborate with Pennsylvania and the community to monitor and improve water quality in the bay after the formal delisting process. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will evaluate the levels of fish tumors and the sediment quality objectives related to the delisting and ecosystem health targets in their approved remedial action plan. 

Some external tumors will be seen on fish caught near Presque Isle. Should the incidence of external tumors increase in ways that cause concern, agencies can consider further action using the existing statutory and regulatory authorities.