Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption
BUI #1
Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs)
Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) are any biological or economical uses of the natural resource that has been negatively impacted by environmental degradation. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) outlines 14 BUIs as the criteria for listing AOCs.
The current status of each BUI is listed below:
| Status - Southern AOC | Status - Northern AOC | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption | Impaired | Impaired |
| 2. Tainting of Fish and Wildlife Flavor | Not impaired | Not impaired |
| 3. Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations | Impaired suspected, assessment needed | Impaired |
| 4. Fish Tumors or Other Deformities | Impaired suspected, assessment needed | Requires further assessment |
| 5. Bird or Other Animal Deformities or Reproductive Problems | Impaired | Not impaired |
| 6. Degradation of Benthos | Impaired suspected, assessment needed | Not impaired |
| 7. Restriction on Dredging Activities | Not impaired | Not impaired |
| 8. Eutrophication of Undesirable Algae | Not impaired | Impaired |
| 9. Restriction on Drinking Water or Taste and Odor Problems | Not impaired | |
| 10. Beach Closings | Not impaired | Impaired |
| 11. Degradation of Aesthetics | Not impaired | Not impaired |
| 13. Added costs to Agriculture or Industry | Not impaired | Not impaired |
| 13. Degradation of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Populations | Removed | Requires further assessment |
| 14. Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat | Impaired | Impaired |
The goal of the Remedial Action Plan (RAP) will be reached when none of these impairments exist.
The St. Lawrence River AOC Program at the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT) was developed in October 2010 from a competitive funding award from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) Grant GL-9722130-10. SRMT has been working diligently to make advancements on delisting targets and updating BUI statuses in the St. Lawrence River AOC, under this funding source.
On-going projects under Grant GL-9722130-10 were developed to address the six impaired BUIs listed above.
