The long-term goals of the Fox River Cleanup Project include meeting the following Remedial Action Objectives (RAOs):

• RAO 1: Achieve, to the extent practicable, surface water quality criteria for PCBs throughout the Lower Fox River and Green Bay
• RAO 2: Protect humans who consume fish from exposure to contaminants that exceed protective levels (achieve safe exposure for recreational and high-intake fish consumers)
• RAO 3: Protect ecological receptors from exposure to contaminants above protective levels (achieve safe ecological thresholds for fish-eating birds and mammals within 30 years following remedy completion)
• RAO 4: Reduce transport of PCBs from the Lower Fox River into Green Bay and Lake Michigan (reduce loading to Green Bay and Lake Michigan comparable to loading from other Lake Michigan Tributaries)

The Fox River Cleanup project must meet certain, predetermined goals and measurements.  Achievement of the required dredging and capping criteria will be determined by measurements as the work is completed in specified areas.

To determine if dredging is adequate, or if a sand cover will be placed after dredging a specified area, the elevation of the river bottom will be measured and samples of the river bottom will be analyzed and the results compared to the clean up criteria. The thickness of caps will be determined by measuring the elevation of the river bottom and by coring the newly placed cap. 

Sampling and surveys will continue following the cleanup, including surface water sampling, sediment sampling and fish tissue sampling as part of the Long Term Monitoring Plan and Operations, Maintenance and Monitoring Plan.