URBANA, Ill. – The Great Lakes region, home to steel, leather, and lumber industries, has been a pinnacle of prosperity. However, when resources dried up, these industries shut down and left a wake of pollution in their path. Great Lakes communities burdened with decades of pollution have an opportunity for a new lease on life when local waterways are finally cleaned up.

A new video series from Illinois-Indiana SeaGrant features five cities along waterways deemed Areas of Concern (AOCs) that are in various stages of the cleanup process and are experiencing revitalization. With the help of the U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO), the cities of Muskegon, Duluth, Buffalo, Ashtabula, and Sheboygan are on a journey to clean up waterways and revitalize their towns.

Read the full story from Illinois-Indiana SeaGrant.