Fall 2018 Forum

Watch Recording

On Tuesday, October 23, 2018 the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Pennsylvania Sea Grant hosted the fall 2018 Pennsylvania Lake Erie Environmental Forum (PA LEEF). Featured speakers included Penn State Behrend researcher, Dr. Anthony Foyle, who discussed “Coastal Bluff Erosion” and his work to increase the knowledge of Lake Erie bluff erosion, Pennsylvania Sea Grant’s Research Director, Dr. Sean Rafferty, presented the PA Great lakes Water & Land Technical Resources Website & Web Mapping Application, Pennsylvania Sea Grant’s Marti Martz and Anna McCartney led presentations and discussions about plastic pollution in our waters, Jill Bartolotta and Sue Bixler of Ohio Sea Grant examined the impacts of plastic pollution on our waters, the social science behind consumer behavior, and a regional opportunity to collaborate on a plastics outreach campaign, and Tim Bruno, Chief of the DEP Great Lakes Office provided updates on rulemaking regarding the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Waterway, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and the Pennsylvania State Water Plan.

• Welcome to the Forum: Anticipated Outcomes and Introductions,  Tim Bruno, PA DEP

• Great Lakes Roundup and updates including, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the Great Lakes Basin Compact & Agreement Update, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Update, and the State Water Plan Update, Tim Bruno, PA DEP

• E.coli Bacteria & Harmful Algae Bloom Monitoring – E.coli Monitoring and HAB Monitoring, Dr. Jeanette Schnars, Regional Science Consortium

• PA Lake Erie Water and Land Technical Resource Website – New tool for the public to learn about Great Lakes issues in PA, Dr. Sean Rafferty, Pennsylvania Sea Grant

• SECIAL FOCUS: COASTAL BLUFF EROSION – State of Knowledge: Bluff Management – Bluff Erosion Potential Index (BEPI), Dr. Tony Foyle, Penn State – The Behrend College

• SPECIAL FOCUS: PLASTICS IN OUR PUBLIC WATERS – Plastic pollution impacts – Report on two social science research projects focused on changing consumer behavior on single use plastic items in coastal Ohio communities – Regional opportunity to collaborate on developing plastics outreach campaign, Anna McCartney and Marti Martz Pennsylvania Sea Grant and Jill Bartolotta and Sue Bixler Ohio Sea Grant

• Opportunity for Attendees to Provide Comments, Identify Issues, and Recommend Future Topics Public, Members

• Final Remarks and Adjourn, Tim Bruno, PADEP