Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern Mink Prey Survey and Oak Orchard Creek Add-on

Abstract

In the Great Lakes Basin, the International Joint Commission (IJC) has identified 43 Areas of Concern (AOC) where pollution from past industrial production and waste disposal practices has created hazardous waste sites or contaminated sediments. Beneficial Use Impairments (BUI) have been identified for each AOC, and for an AOC to be delisted removal of each of its BUIs must be documented. This study assessed whether chemicals of concern (COC) could negatively impact mink populations along Eighteenmile Creek (EMC) and addressed two BUIs: Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations and Bird or Animal Deformities or Reproductive Problems. Criteria for removing these two BUIs in the EMC AOC are in Table 1 and definitions of acronyms used in this report are in Table 2.