Posted on June 5, 2018
By Alisa M. Schafer, Herald Times Reporter
Plans to dump dredge materials from the Little Manitowoc River at the city’s gravel pit were discussed at a recent public meeting with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
A plan to dredge the Little Manitowoc River includes disposing of the low-hazard waste sediment near the police shooting range at the gravel pit on Hecker Road.
During a public input meeting May 31, Jon Gumtow from Stantec said testing of the sediment in the area of the future dredging turned up slightly elevated levels of lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. He said the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recommended the city treat the material as low-hazard waste.
Jackie Marciulionis from the DNR said any public comments will be reviewed and a decision on the city’s request to dispose the dredging materials at the gravel pit will be approved or denied.
She said there was little chance for the contaminants in the sediment to leach into the groundwater and preventive measures will be taken to prevent erosion of the pile into the nearby Silver Creek.
The dredging project is slated to begin in August and will continue for approximately two months, according to Gumtow.
“The purpose of the project is really to restore habitat for the Little Manitowoc River estuary,” he said. “This area is a large corridor for migratory birds and local wildlife use it.”
Torrin Begs from the DNR said the new installment would have little effect on current remediation efforts at the gravel pit to block the leaching of volatile organic compounds that have been found in a separate area of the gravel pit.
Source: Herald Times Reporter
