After decades of restoration and cleanup work, the Rochester Embayment Area of Concern (AOC) is no longer a polluted hotspot in the Great Lakes basin. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Monroe County, and other partners have launched the official process to remove the Rochester Embayment from the list of Areas of Concern. These are regions in the Great Lakes that need special attention due to environmental degradation. The Rochester Embayment is a 35-square-mile bay on Lake Ontario’s south shore, where the Genesee River meets the lake.