Photo: InterlakeConditions in the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern (AOC) have vastly improved over 30 years, thanks to ongoing restoration and contamination reduction along a problematic portion of the waterway.
A major step forward occurred in September, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency removed a beach closings “beneficial use impairment,” which was eliminated after successful mitigation of bacterial hazards at a trio of Northeast Ohio beaches.
With this BUI removed, the Cuyahoga River has successfully addressed six of the ten impairments from its 1987 AOC designation under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Ongoing remediation and restoration has also resolved BUIs around fish tumors, undesirable algae, unsightly pollution, and fish and wildlife consumption. All 10 problem areas must be addressed before the river is delisted as an AOC.
Despite advancements, much remains to be done before the Cuyahoga is off this dubious list. Businesses along the river are integral to the solution, navigating strict environmental compliance while prioritizing community goodwill.
The Interlake Steamship Company operates a fleet of vessels carrying iron ore, stone and salt along the Cuyahoga and into the Great Lakes. Manager of environmental stewardship and quality Kate Wells said Interlake is committed to making its ships among the most efficient and environmentally responsible in the industry.
“There are basic regulations we follow, but we aim to be above the bar,” said Wells. “Regulations were built in mind to protect our water, so that satisfies the Cuyahoga AOC concerns in terms of how we operate and help us build a roadmap to continual improvement.”
In 2017, Interlake became the first Great Lakes shipowner to join Green Marine, a voluntary environmental certification program for the North American maritime industry. The initiative offers 12 performance indicators – such as emissions reduction and oil spill prevention – that serve as a roadmap for members.
To that end, Interlake has added exhaust gas scrubbers to nearly half its fleet, with a goal of removing all sulfur and particulate matter from emissions. The company also lubricates its propeller shaft bearings with water instead of oil, and utilizes onboard sewage treatment systems for each of its three vessels currently traversing the Cuyahoga.
“We’ve always been on a path for decarbonization,” said Wells, a member of the Cuyahoga AOC advisory committee, which includes regional businesses, government agencies and other area stakeholders. “Both in investing in vessels and making improvements to pivot with changing regulations.”
The challenge of compliance
Staying compliant with evolving regulations is difficult, especially when managing a fleet constructed in a time of widespread environmental disregard. Given that Interlake’s oldest ship dates back to 1942, addressing concerns like ballast water discharge requires implementation of more contemporary solutions, noted Wells.
Ballast water is a vector for invasive species almost impossible to eliminate from an environment once introduced. Interlake recently installed a UV system on a tug barge to zap fish larvae, aquatic plants and other invaders before they hit the water. Though still in the pilot phase, the technology provides the company with a potential competitive advantage.
Photo: Interlake“It’s an opportunity for us to be at the forefront [of environmental regulations], while enabling innovation and technological advancements,” Wells said. “We can apply technology to ballast water, emissions, or anything else that requires improvements over time.”
The Cuyahoga River AOC encompasses the 47 northernmost miles of the river as it flows into Lake Erie – the watercourse’s infamous 1969 fire, fueled by years of industrial waste, made it a national punchline and unfortunate symbol of pollution run amok.
The fire also spurred federal regulations for water quality and pollution control. Yet, progress made along the Cuyahoga is not just an opportunity to delist the waterway, said Elaine Price, a former compliance officer at a riverside steel mill during the early stages of extensive regulatory enforcement.
During Price’s time at American Steel & Wire, formerly U.S. Steel, the company utilized massive industrial rollers to compress metal bars into wire. The rollers used a heavy lubricant that bled into a sluiceway beneath the facility, then directly into the river.
Solving the issue simply became good business, even if it came at an initial high cost, said Price.
“Engineers and operating managers looked at these machines totally differently,” Price said. “They asked how they could design the next iteration so it won’t push out this byproduct. We learned that pollution is just mismanaged byproduct.”
Cost of doing business
Environmental stewardship is more critical than ever, particularly as consumers demand transparency about industrial sustainability practices, added Price.
“Manufacturers said if we don’t make products [environmentally] safer, we’re going to lose business,” she said. “If you apply this principle to the business of managing materials, then you’ve got an understanding of why a machine is leaking so much oil and costing you money. The cost of compliance is the cost of doing business, it’s not on top of the cost of doing business.”
Grant Goodrich, a former executive with Cleveland economic development agency Team NEO, pointed to support of “nature-based solutions” as an option for compliance-minded industries. For instance, re-foresting a riverbank can trap sediments, pollutants and excess nutrients before they reach the water as runoff. Tree roots also bind soil, stabilizing the waterfront and preventing erosion.
Any new industry settling in the Cuyahoga AOC will already have a sustainability framework in place, said Goodrich, now executive director of the Great Lakes Energy Institute at Case Western Reserve University’s school of engineering.
“These companies are coming in with eyes wide open,” Goodrich said. “They will have a water treatment plant on site, or will coordinate with a municipal treatment solution in the area. Most companies are interested in being good neighbors. What type of waste are they working with? Does it require any specific disposal procedures? There’s a much better understanding now from companies that if they pollute something here, there’s going to be reputational risks. Companies are better stewards of the environment, especially in the community in which they operate.”
The Cuyahoga River AOC committee has targeted 2030 for removal of all BUIs along the watercourse – companies wanting their reputation to remain intact are wise to stay current with compliance demands, said Wells of Interlake.
“We view compliance as an investment, and see it as an industry problem,” said Wells. “These are challenges beyond just us, they’re challenges for our competitor carriers as well.”
