The Great Waters Program
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.On November 15, 1990, in response to mounting evidence that air pollution contributes to water pollution, Congress amended the Clean Air Act and included provisions that established research and reporting requirements related to the deposition of hazardous air pollutants to the "Great Waters." The waterbodies designated by these provisions are the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain, Chesapeake Bay, and certain other coastal waters (identified by their designation as sites in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System or the National Estuary Program).
- An Introduction
to the Issues and the Ecosystems April 1994
- Deposition of Air Pollutants
to the Great Waters, Second Report to Congress, June 1997
The Great Waters Report to Congress provides a very detailed discussion about the scientific understanding of atmospheric deposition and the health and environmental effects of toxic pollution (as of 1996), as well as EPA's programs to protect human health and the environment.
- Deposition of Air Pollutants to the
Great Waters, Third Report to Congress, June 2000
The third Great Waters Report to Congress provides updated scientific information on the trends in emissions, transport, deposition, fate and effects of toxic pollutants of concern on the Great Waters. It also discusses the many programs EPA, states, tribes and others are implementing to address the pollutants of concern to the Great Waters. The report describes recent advancements in scientific research and tools used to improve our understanding of atmospheric deposition to the Great Waters.
- Air-Water Interface Work Plan, January 2001 (PDF) (38 pp, 107 KB)
This work plan outlines a schedule of specific activities that EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation and Office of Water are committing to undertake using the authorities of both the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. This collaborative effort will help to coordinate these Offices’ programs and to track EPA’s progress in assessing and reducing, as needed, atmospheric deposition of toxics and nitrogen to all waterbodies in the United States.
- Frequently Asked Questions
about Atmospheric Deposition:
A Handbook for Watershed Managers, September 2001
This handbook answers basic questions about air deposition and sources, how the significance of air deposition can be assessed through existing information, monitoring and modeling, and how the information can be used in a management strategy. It also provides extensive references for additional resources.
- Survey of New Findings in Scientific Literature Related to Atmospheric Deposition to the Great Waters, December 2007
These reports compile recent scientific information related to emission sources, deposition trends and concentrations in the Great Waters for two pollutants of concern: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). The results from the recent literature also are compared to findings in the third Great Waters Report to Congress.
- Related Links
Links to other sites with information about atmospheric deposition and aquatic ecosystems.