Sep
16
HazMaTON Webinar: Lake Champlain Environmental Sensitivity Index Mapping
The HazMaTON Summer Webinar Series, first started in 2016, continues through 2026 with monthly webinars from May through September. Anyone interested in how hazardous materials, such as crude oil and its refined products, move throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes region may find these webinars informative.
Public
Online
Date
Sep 16, 2026
Time
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
organizer
Minnesota Sea Grant, on behalf of the Hazardous Material Transport Outreach Network
Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps provide a concise summary of coastal resources that face potential risk in the event of an oil or chemical spill nearby. Incident response managers use these maps from a wide range of federal and state agencies to identify vulnerable coastal locations and guide decision-making about where and how to prioritize emergency response and restoration activities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has established guidance and developed a portal for publishing nationally consistent ESI maps.
The Lake Champlain Basin Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Geological Survey recognize the need to create these maps for the 587 miles of Lake Champlain shoreline so that protection priorities and response strategies can be identified, allowing rapid response in the case of an oil or chemical spill. This presentation will provide an overview of the Lake Champlain Environmental Sensitivity Index Mapping.
