Every summer, work re-starts on cleaning up the Great Lakes, undoing decades and centuries of environmental degradation. The Province of Ontario and Canada are working together on cleaning up their side of the lakes.
Along the lakes and waterways are areas of concern, particularly degraded sections of lakes or rivers, like the Niagara River and the Buffalo River.
Ontario Environment Minister Jim Bradley says the Niagara is much cleaner than it was and the push is on to clean up the environmental hot spots.
"The other thing that we can't ever abandon is our scientific understanding of the problems of the Great Lakes," Bradley said.
"You know, a lot of people will say: Well you know, all you need is action, you don't need scientific study. Scientific study often pinpoints the specific problem and then you wind up finding a particular solution."
A Saint Catharines resident and long-time member of the provincial parliament and the Cabinet, Bradley says there are invasive species which are increasing problems.
Niagara-on-the-Lake is now building a new sewage treatment plant to ease contamination in the Niagara River. Buffalo is planning to spend nearly $400 million to eliminate sewage overflows into the river.
