Great Lakes states have taken another step forward toward salvaging the region’s crumbling ecosystem. The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration announced July 25 five public meetings to allow "unrepresented stakeholders" to weigh in on planned fixes before a final action plan is announced on Dec. 12. That announcement follows the July 7 release of an eight-pronged cleanup plan that will cost billions of dollars.

The approach, which includes federal, state, local, private and industry participants, follows a 2004 Executive Order by President George Bush. "The lakes are starting to see an ecological breakdown at the largest levels," says Andy Buchsbaum, director of the Great Lakes’ office of the National Wildlife Federation. Ecosystem problems will focus on invasive species, habitats, coastal health, sediment, nonpoint source pollution, bioaccumulative toxics reduction and sustainable development, among other concerns.

Keeping untreated sewage and industrial wastes from entering the Lakes is the plan’s big-ticket item, set to cost $13.7 billion over the next five years. Sediment cleanup could cost $2.3 billion over the next 15 years, says David Cowgill, co-chair of the team handling this part of the plan.

But some participants feel the plan is not addressing all of Great Lakes environmental problems, including mercury pollution, says James Zorn, co-chair of the toxins reduction team. The stakeholders he represents are seeking a reduction of mercury levels in the lakes and are concerned by continued construction of new plants that are emitting dangerous levels of the metal.