Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News
The Newsletter of the Great Lakes
Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund
The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News is the newsletter of the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund, published five times per year. The News is intended to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas among citizens and organizations working to protect aquatic habitats in the Great Lakes Basin.
Volume 14, Number 3 • Summer 2006
Great Lakes
Basin Update - U.S.Side
The Great Lakes Legacy Act:
Cleaning Up Historic Contamination
By Elizabeth Hinchey Malloy, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office
Contaminated sediment at the bottom of our rivers and lakes is
a significant problem in the Great Lakes Basin. For decades,
industrial, agricultural and household sources contributed
harmful pollutants to the Great Lakes, including polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
pesticides, oil and grease, and heavy metals including mercury
and cadmium. The enactment and enforcement of the Clean
Water Act in the 1970s has led to improvements in controlling
these discharges and greatly reduced the amount of
contaminants being released into the environment, yet
contamination remains in the sediment as a legacy of historical
pollution. These contaminants continue to enter the food chain
where they can cause adverse effects to human health.
To help address this, the Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) was
enacted by Congress in 2002. The GLLA authorizes $270 million
in funding over five years to assist with the remediation of
contaminated sediment in the 31 designated Areas of Concern
(AOCs) on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes. The goal of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program
Office, which is administering GLLA, is to identify eligible
remediation projects within the 31 U.S. Areas of Concern, and
conduct remediation projects for these sites (Table 1).
Progress to date:
GLLA remediation projects have been completed at Black Lagoon
in Trenton, MI, and at Hog Island Inlet in Superior, WI.
Remediation is ongoing at Ruddiman Creek in Muskegon, MI. A
new remediation project was recently approved in Ashtabula,
OH, and work is expected to begin in summer 2006.
Black Lagoon
Black Lagoon is located within the Trenton Channel of the
Detroit River, in the Detroit River AOC. This project was a
partnership between EPA, Michigan DEQ, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, and the city of Trenton. Black Lagoon sediment was
contaminated with PCBs, oil and grease, and heavy metals. The
goals for the project were to reduce risks to human health,
wildlife, and aquatic organisms, and restore the aquatic habitat
and the fishery within Black Lagoon. The site is currently slated
for construction of a marina that will serve recreational boaters,
provide increased access to the Detroit River, and hopefully
encourage overall economic growth for the area.
Timetable: Project complete (December 2005).
ProjectWebsite:www.epa.gov/glla/blklagoon/
Hog Island Inlet and Newton Creek
Hog Island Inlet and Newton Creek are located in Superior,WI, in
the St. Louis River AOC. This project was a partnership between
EPA and Wisconsin DNR, working closely with the city and
county of Superior and the St. Louis River Citizens Advisory
Group. Fifty thousand tons of petroleum-contaminated
sediment and soil were removed from Newton Creek and parts
of Hog Island Inlet. Further planting and re-seeding will occur in
spring of 2006. The next step for this site is for all parties to
continue to work together to develop and implement a
restoration plan.
Timetable: Project complete (December 2005).
ProjectWebsite:www.epa.gov/glla/hogisland/
Ruddiman Creek and Ruddiman Pond
Ruddiman Creek and Ruddiman Pond, in Muskegon, MI, are part
of the Muskegon Lake AOC and are contaminated with PCBs,
PAHs and metals. This project is a partnership between EPA,
Michigan DEQ, the city of Muskegon, the Public Advisory Group
and local community organizations. The cleanup will remove
approximately 80,000 cubic yards of sediment and is expected
to cost $12 million. Remediation of the creek includes stream
diversions and temporary wall construction to remove sediment
under dry conditions, and redirection of wastewater treatment
outflows. After sediment remediation, the creek and pond will
be reconstructed and the pre-cleanup flow patterns will be
restored with more flood protection features, followed by
extensive replanting of native plants, shrubs and trees.
Timetable: Project complete (May 2006)
ProjectWebsite:www.epa.gov/glla/ruddiman/
Ashtabula River
EPA is partnering with the Ashtabula City Port Authority and the
state of Ohio in a GLLA cleanup project on the lower reaches of
the Ashtabula River.Work is about to begin on the river cleanup
that is expected to take three to four years. The Ashtabula City
Port Authority will finance 50 percent of the project in
cooperation with other public and private entities, including the
Ashtabula River Cooperation Group II, a group of private
companies. The state of Ohio has provided $7 million for the
project and other organizations, including the Ashtabula River
Partnership and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will play an
active role in this project.
Timetable: Landfill construction is underway, dredging is
expected to begin in September 2006.
ProjectWebsite:www.epa.gov/glla/ashtabula/
Table 1.
Components of the Great Lakes Legacy Act
Remediation Projects
(up to $50 million authorized annually) Priority is given to:
- • Remedial action for contaminated sediment
- • Projects identified in a Remedial Action Plan
- • Projects that will use an innovative approach that may provide greater environmental benefits, or equivalent environmental benefits at a reduced cost
- • Projects that can begin within a year of funding
Research and Development
(up to $3 million authorized annually)
- • Conduct research on the development and use of innovative approaches, technologies and techniques for the remediation of contaminated sediment at U.S. AOCs
- • No non-federal match required
Public Information
(up to $1 million authorized annually)
- • Provide funding for public outreach and public information at U.S. AOCs regarding sediment remediation
- • No non-federal match required.
For more information on the Great Lakes Legacy Act, please contact:
Marc Tuchman, U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office
PH: (312) 353-1369 • E-mail: tuchman.marc@epa.gov
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