Progress Toward Restoration

Accountability and Responsibility for Remedial Action Plans

In verifying the list of federal, state, provincial and local Area of Concern contacts provided by the Parties, the Commission discovered numerous cases where the named contact was no longer employed by the agency, retired, or no longer responsible for the Area of Concern.

The Commission believes that for the governments to effectively address the multi-billion dollar remediation challenge, management responsibilities across a broad range of programs must be clearly defined. Government agencies should ensure that:

• technical input and oversight are provided;
• information is managed effectively and is coordinated among a variety of government and nongovernment organizations; and
• public engagement, which supports and sustains the momentum for Remedial Action Plan implementation, continues.

Governments also should ensure that those who work or live in Areas of Concern know:

• the individual who is responsible for each Area if Concern;
• the direction of the program; and
• progress toward restoring beneficial uses.