Author: Owen Sound Sun Times

Other

Ashland, Green Bay, Two Harbors, and Oscoda Township selected for engineering and design support through Great Lakes coastal resilience program

Ashland, Green Bay, Two Harbors, and Oscoda Township selected for engineering and design support through Great Lakes coastal resilience program
josterme01
Mon, 12/30/2024 – 9:49 am

Overhead view of Bay City Creek area along Lake Superior’s shoreline in Ashland, WI. (Photo Credit: Ed Monroe)

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have selected Ashland (WI), Green Bay (WI), Two Harbors (MN) and Oscoda Township (MI) for engineering and design support through the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts. Over the next year, the Cities Initiative, NOAA and technical partners from Dewberry and LimnoTech will work with community collaborators to plan and design their habitat-focused projects that address coastal challenges—like flooding and stormwater runoff—and improve climate resilience. Read the full story about the initiative. 

 

Mon, 12/30/2024 – 9:49 am

Keywords


habitat


stormwater


infrastructure

Overhead view of Bay City Creek area along Lake Superior’s shoreline in Ashland, WI. (Photo Credit: Ed Monroe)

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have selected Ashland (WI), Green Bay (WI), Two Harbors (MN) and Oscoda Township (MI) for engineering and design support through the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts. Over the next year, the Cities Initiative, NOAA and technical partners from Dewberry and LimnoTech will work with community collaborators to plan and design their habitat-focused projects that address coastal challenges—like flooding and stormwater runoff—and improve climate resilience. Read the full story about the initiative. 

 

Mon, 12/30/2024 – 9:49 am

Keywords


habitat


stormwater


infrastructure

Other

Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action Project Wraps Up First Season of Construction

Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action Project Wraps Up First Season of Construction
josterme01
Mon, 12/16/2024 – 3:20 pm

Crews place pelletized activated carbon at the Thomson Reservoir during the 2024 construction season. (Credit: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)

The EPA has completed the first year of construction for the Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action project. This two-year, $35 million project is being conducted under Great Lakes Legacy Act and is funded in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and a private non-federal partner. The project is the final sediment remediation site on the Minnesota side of the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Completion of this project will progress efforts to remove the Restrictions on Dredging Activities and Degradation of Benthos Beneficial Use Impairments in the AOC, with the eventual goal of delisting the AOC. 

Thomson Reservoir is a 330-acre reservoir with legacy contamination from dioxins/furans in the reservoir’s sediments as a result of decades of industrial pollution. Within the reservoir, sediment contamination was identified in 69 acres totaling 225,000 cubic yards. To address this contamination, 1-2.5 inches of activated carbon will be place in the contaminated areas. The activated carbon will bind to the contamination in the sediment and reduce their bioavailability, preventing contaminants from moving up the food chain.

During the 2024 construction season, crews placed 8,310 tons of activated carbon material over 28 acres of the reservoir. Placement of activated carbon will resume in 2025 to address the remaining 41 acres of contaminated sediment. 

As the reservoir is a popular destination for the public, especially the recreational paddlers who actively use the reservoir and its outfalls, public access to the reservoir has been maintained throughout construction.   Coordination is ongoing with local stakeholders to ensure a safe environment for paddlers who share the water with heavy machinery. Additionally, the reservoir’s parking area was expanded at the start of construction to accommodate needs for both public parking and a construction staging area.

Mon, 12/16/2024 – 3:20 pm

Keywords


St. Louis River AOC


sediment

Crews place pelletized activated carbon at the Thomson Reservoir during the 2024 construction season. (Credit: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)

The EPA has completed the first year of construction for the Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action project. This two-year, $35 million project is being conducted under Great Lakes Legacy Act and is funded in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and a private non-federal partner. The project is the final sediment remediation site on the Minnesota side of the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Completion of this project will progress efforts to remove the Restrictions on Dredging Activities and Degradation of Benthos Beneficial Use Impairments in the AOC, with the eventual goal of delisting the AOC. 

Thomson Reservoir is a 330-acre reservoir with legacy contamination from dioxins/furans in the reservoir’s sediments as a result of decades of industrial pollution. Within the reservoir, sediment contamination was identified in 69 acres totaling 225,000 cubic yards. To address this contamination, 1-2.5 inches of activated carbon will be place in the contaminated areas. The activated carbon will bind to the contamination in the sediment and reduce their bioavailability, preventing contaminants from moving up the food chain.

During the 2024 construction season, crews placed 8,310 tons of activated carbon material over 28 acres of the reservoir. Placement of activated carbon will resume in 2025 to address the remaining 41 acres of contaminated sediment. 

As the reservoir is a popular destination for the public, especially the recreational paddlers who actively use the reservoir and its outfalls, public access to the reservoir has been maintained throughout construction.   Coordination is ongoing with local stakeholders to ensure a safe environment for paddlers who share the water with heavy machinery. Additionally, the reservoir’s parking area was expanded at the start of construction to accommodate needs for both public parking and a construction staging area.

Mon, 12/16/2024 – 3:20 pm

Keywords


St. Louis River AOC


sediment

Other

Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action Project Wraps Up First Season of Construction

Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action Project Wraps Up First Season of Construction
josterme01
Mon, 12/16/2024 – 3:20 pm

Body of water with construction equipment.

Crews place pelletized activated carbon at the Thomson Reservoir during the 2024 construction season. (Credit: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)

The EPA has completed the first year of construction for the Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action project. This two-year, $35 million project is being conducted under Great Lakes Legacy Act and is funded in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and a private non-federal partner. The project is the final sediment remediation site on the Minnesota side of the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Completion of this project will progress efforts to remove the Restrictions on Dredging Activities and Degradation of Benthos Beneficial Use Impairments in the AOC, with the eventual goal of delisting the AOC. 

Thomson Reservoir is a 330-acre reservoir with legacy contamination from dioxins/furans in the reservoir’s sediments as a result of decades of industrial pollution. Within the reservoir, sediment contamination was identified in 69 acres totaling 225,000 cubic yards. To address this contamination, 1-2.5 inches of activated carbon will be place in the contaminated areas. The activated carbon will bind to the contamination in the sediment and reduce their bioavailability, preventing contaminants from moving up the food chain.

During the 2024 construction season, crews placed 8,310 tons of activated carbon material over 28 acres of the reservoir. Placement of activated carbon will resume in 2025 to address the remaining 41 acres of contaminated sediment. 

As the reservoir is a popular destination for the public, especially the recreational paddlers who actively use the reservoir and its outfalls, public access to the reservoir has been maintained throughout construction.   Coordination is ongoing with local stakeholders to ensure a safe environment for paddlers who share the water with heavy machinery. Additionally, the reservoir’s parking area was expanded at the start of construction to accommodate needs for both public parking and a construction staging area.

Mon, 12/16/2024 – 3:20 pm

Keywords


St. Louis River AOC


sediment

Body of water with construction equipment.

Crews place pelletized activated carbon at the Thomson Reservoir during the 2024 construction season. (Credit: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)

The EPA has completed the first year of construction for the Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action project. This two-year, $35 million project is being conducted under Great Lakes Legacy Act and is funded in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and a private non-federal partner. The project is the final sediment remediation site on the Minnesota side of the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Completion of this project will progress efforts to remove the Restrictions on Dredging Activities and Degradation of Benthos Beneficial Use Impairments in the AOC, with the eventual goal of delisting the AOC. 

Thomson Reservoir is a 330-acre reservoir with legacy contamination from dioxins/furans in the reservoir’s sediments as a result of decades of industrial pollution. Within the reservoir, sediment contamination was identified in 69 acres totaling 225,000 cubic yards. To address this contamination, 1-2.5 inches of activated carbon will be place in the contaminated areas. The activated carbon will bind to the contamination in the sediment and reduce their bioavailability, preventing contaminants from moving up the food chain.

During the 2024 construction season, crews placed 8,310 tons of activated carbon material over 28 acres of the reservoir. Placement of activated carbon will resume in 2025 to address the remaining 41 acres of contaminated sediment. 

As the reservoir is a popular destination for the public, especially the recreational paddlers who actively use the reservoir and its outfalls, public access to the reservoir has been maintained throughout construction.   Coordination is ongoing with local stakeholders to ensure a safe environment for paddlers who share the water with heavy machinery. Additionally, the reservoir’s parking area was expanded at the start of construction to accommodate needs for both public parking and a construction staging area.

Mon, 12/16/2024 – 3:20 pm

Keywords


St. Louis River AOC


sediment

Other

Final Remaining BUI, Degradation of Benthos, Removed at Muskegon Lake AOC

Final Remaining BUI, Degradation of Benthos, Removed at Muskegon Lake AOC
3 min read

Final Remaining BUI, Degradation of Benthos, Removed at Muskegon Lake AOC
josterme01
Thu, 12/12/2024 – 2:00 pm

Mechanical dredging of contaminated sediment in Ryerson Creek in the Muskegon Lake AOC.

Mechanical dredging of contaminated sediment in Ryerson Creek in the Muskegon Lake AOC.

The U.S. EPA, together with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Water Resources Division (WRD), and Area of Concern (AOC) Program, has removed the Degradation of Benthos BUI from the Muskegon Lake AOC. The BUI was removed on October 31st, 2024, and was the first BUI removed under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan IV. BUIs are designations listed in the 1987 amendment to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) that represent different types of significant environmental degradation (see Beneficial Use Impairments for the Great Lakes AOCs to learn more).

Muskegon Lake was originally listed as an AOC in 1987 due to historic discharges of industrial and municipal wastewater as well as urban runoff. Elevated levels of contaminants including heavy metals and oils degraded benthic communities by reducing diversity. Since then, 190,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in the AOC have been remediated by Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) projects, reducing toxicity that impacted benthic communities. Additionally, seven habitat projects were completed in the AOC, restoring approximately 134 acres of habitat, and removing 110,000 tons of logging-era sawmill debris from the lake. 

The completion of these projects has culminated in the restoration of the AOC and removal of all nine identified BUIs. The October 31, 2024, removal of the Degradation of Benthos BUI marked the ninth and final BUI removal. With all BUIs removed, the Muskegon Lake AOC is now eligible for delisting, a monumental accomplishment in the AOC program. Once an area is delisted, it is no longer considered an AOC as all its once-impaired beneficial uses have been restored. Of 31 U.S. AOCs, only seven have been delisted since the program began in 1987. All but one of these AOCs have been delisted since the GLRI was established in 2010. The delisting process includes the development of a Delisting Report, an invitation to tribes to consult on the delisting recommendation, and a review by the International Joint Commission (IJC) and the public.

The beginning of the delisting process at Muskegon Lake AOC will come on the heels of another recent delisting. Rochester Embayment was delisted on October 3, 2024 following the removal of all 14 of its original BUIs. Each delisting constitutes an historic achievement in the restoration of the Great Lakes and a notable success under both the GLWQA and the GLRI. The proposed future delisting of Muskegon Lake in 2025 would be the eighth delisting of a U.S. AOC and a celebration of decades of hard work by federal, state, and local partners. 

Thu, 12/12/2024 – 2:00 pm

Keywords


Muskegon Lake AOC


sediment


BUIs

Mechanical dredging of contaminated sediment in Ryerson Creek in the Muskegon Lake AOC.

Mechanical dredging of contaminated sediment in Ryerson Creek in the Muskegon Lake AOC.

The U.S. EPA, together with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Water Resources Division (WRD), and Area of Concern (AOC) Program, has removed the Degradation of Benthos BUI from the Muskegon Lake AOC. The BUI was removed on October 31st, 2024, and was the first BUI removed under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan IV. BUIs are designations listed in the 1987 amendment to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) that represent different types of significant environmental degradation (see Beneficial Use Impairments for the Great Lakes AOCs to learn more).

Muskegon Lake was originally listed as an AOC in 1987 due to historic discharges of industrial and municipal wastewater as well as urban runoff. Elevated levels of contaminants including heavy metals and oils degraded benthic communities by reducing diversity. Since then, 190,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in the AOC have been remediated by Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) projects, reducing toxicity that impacted benthic communities. Additionally, seven habitat projects were completed in the AOC, restoring approximately 134 acres of habitat, and removing 110,000 tons of logging-era sawmill debris from the lake. 

The completion of these projects has culminated in the restoration of the AOC and removal of all nine identified BUIs. The October 31, 2024, removal of the Degradation of Benthos BUI marked the ninth and final BUI removal. With all BUIs removed, the Muskegon Lake AOC is now eligible for delisting, a monumental accomplishment in the AOC program. Once an area is delisted, it is no longer considered an AOC as all its once-impaired beneficial uses have been restored. Of 31 U.S. AOCs, only seven have been delisted since the program began in 1987. All but one of these AOCs have been delisted since the GLRI was established in 2010. The delisting process includes the development of a Delisting Report, an invitation to tribes to consult on the delisting recommendation, and a review by the International Joint Commission (IJC) and the public.

The beginning of the delisting process at Muskegon Lake AOC will come on the heels of another recent delisting. Rochester Embayment was delisted on October 3, 2024 following the removal of all 14 of its original BUIs. Each delisting constitutes an historic achievement in the restoration of the Great Lakes and a notable success under both the GLWQA and the GLRI. The proposed future delisting of Muskegon Lake in 2025 would be the eighth delisting of a U.S. AOC and a celebration of decades of hard work by federal, state, and local partners. 

Thu, 12/12/2024 – 2:00 pm

Keywords


Muskegon Lake AOC


sediment


BUIs

Other

Final Remaining BUI, Degradation of Benthos, Removed at Muskegon Lake AOC

Final Remaining BUI, Degradation of Benthos, Removed at Muskegon Lake AOC
josterme01
Thu, 12/12/2024 – 2:00 pm

Mechanical dredging of contaminated sediment in Ryerson Creek in the Muskegon Lake AOC.

The U.S. EPA, together with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Water Resources Division (WRD), and Area of Concern (AOC) Program, has removed the Degradation of Benthos BUI from the Muskegon Lake AOC. The BUI was removed on October 31st, 2024, and was the first BUI removed under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan IV. BUIs are designations listed in the 1987 amendment to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) that represent different types of significant environmental degradation (see Beneficial Use Impairments for the Great Lakes AOCs to learn more).

Muskegon Lake was originally listed as an AOC in 1987 due to historic discharges of industrial and municipal wastewater as well as urban runoff. Elevated levels of contaminants including heavy metals and oils degraded benthic communities by reducing diversity. Since then, 190,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in the AOC have been remediated by Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) projects, reducing toxicity that impacted benthic communities. Additionally, seven habitat projects were completed in the AOC, restoring approximately 134 acres of habitat, and removing 110,000 tons of logging-era sawmill debris from the lake. 

The completion of these projects has culminated in the restoration of the AOC and removal of all nine identified BUIs. The October 31, 2024, removal of the Degradation of Benthos BUI marked the ninth and final BUI removal. With all BUIs removed, the Muskegon Lake AOC is now eligible for delisting, a monumental accomplishment in the AOC program. Once an area is delisted, it is no longer considered an AOC as all its once-impaired beneficial uses have been restored. Of 31 U.S. AOCs, only seven have been delisted since the program began in 1987. All but one of these AOCs have been delisted since the GLRI was established in 2010. The delisting process includes the development of a Delisting Report, an invitation to tribes to consult on the delisting recommendation, and a review by the International Joint Commission (IJC) and the public.

The beginning of the delisting process at Muskegon Lake AOC will come on the heels of another recent delisting. Rochester Embayment was delisted on October 3, 2024 following the removal of all 14 of its original BUIs. Each delisting constitutes an historic achievement in the restoration of the Great Lakes and a notable success under both the GLWQA and the GLRI. The proposed future delisting of Muskegon Lake in 2025 would be the eighth delisting of a U.S. AOC and a celebration of decades of hard work by federal, state, and local partners. 

Thu, 12/12/2024 – 2:00 pm

Keywords


Muskegon Lake AOC


sediment


BUIs

Mechanical dredging of contaminated sediment in Ryerson Creek in the Muskegon Lake AOC.

The U.S. EPA, together with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Water Resources Division (WRD), and Area of Concern (AOC) Program, has removed the Degradation of Benthos BUI from the Muskegon Lake AOC. The BUI was removed on October 31st, 2024, and was the first BUI removed under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan IV. BUIs are designations listed in the 1987 amendment to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) that represent different types of significant environmental degradation (see Beneficial Use Impairments for the Great Lakes AOCs to learn more).

Muskegon Lake was originally listed as an AOC in 1987 due to historic discharges of industrial and municipal wastewater as well as urban runoff. Elevated levels of contaminants including heavy metals and oils degraded benthic communities by reducing diversity. Since then, 190,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in the AOC have been remediated by Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) projects, reducing toxicity that impacted benthic communities. Additionally, seven habitat projects were completed in the AOC, restoring approximately 134 acres of habitat, and removing 110,000 tons of logging-era sawmill debris from the lake. 

The completion of these projects has culminated in the restoration of the AOC and removal of all nine identified BUIs. The October 31, 2024, removal of the Degradation of Benthos BUI marked the ninth and final BUI removal. With all BUIs removed, the Muskegon Lake AOC is now eligible for delisting, a monumental accomplishment in the AOC program. Once an area is delisted, it is no longer considered an AOC as all its once-impaired beneficial uses have been restored. Of 31 U.S. AOCs, only seven have been delisted since the program began in 1987. All but one of these AOCs have been delisted since the GLRI was established in 2010. The delisting process includes the development of a Delisting Report, an invitation to tribes to consult on the delisting recommendation, and a review by the International Joint Commission (IJC) and the public.

The beginning of the delisting process at Muskegon Lake AOC will come on the heels of another recent delisting. Rochester Embayment was delisted on October 3, 2024 following the removal of all 14 of its original BUIs. Each delisting constitutes an historic achievement in the restoration of the Great Lakes and a notable success under both the GLWQA and the GLRI. The proposed future delisting of Muskegon Lake in 2025 would be the eighth delisting of a U.S. AOC and a celebration of decades of hard work by federal, state, and local partners. 

Thu, 12/12/2024 – 2:00 pm

Keywords


Muskegon Lake AOC


sediment


BUIs