Posted on August 17, 2021
LANSING — EGLE officials announced a 28-day public comment period for the proposed removal of the Restrictions on Dredging Activities Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) from the Manistique River Area of Concern (AOC). Public review and comment is invited and will be accepted through Sept. 8.
The Manistique River was declared an AOC in the mid-1980s, consistent with the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada. At the time, AOCs were some of the most heavily polluted sites impacting Great Lakes water quality.
Chemical contamination in the lower Manistique River primarily consisted of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) discharged from wastewater lagoons, resulting from the de-inking of carbonless copy paper at a manufacturing facility adjacent to the river. Since the early 1990s, several sediment removal projects have been implemented in the lower river and harbor, which removed tens of thousands of cubic yards of contaminated sediment, sawdust and related organic materials.
The final cleanup project was completed in 2019, with funding from the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The project included removal of PCBs and the installation of six inches to one foot of clean sand mixed with granular activated carbon, to chemically bind any residual contaminants and provide a physical barrier to reduce the potential for any future biological uptake.
Findings from the most recent analyses indicate that sediments in the federally maintained navigation channel consist of over 94% clean sand, and that there are no special handling or disposal measures required for those materials due to chemical contamination.
The Restrictions on Dredging Activities BUI Removal Recommendation is available for review and comment online. Direct comments to John Riley, Great Lakes Management Unit, Surface Water Assessment Section, Water Resources Division at RileyJ2@Michigan.gov, or P.O. Box 30458, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7958, no later than Sept. 8, 2021.
Following the removal of the Restrictions on Dredging BUI, just one impairment will remain for the Manistique River AOC, Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption. It is expected that PCB concentrations in fish tissue will continue to decline over time, now that there are no longer any known sources of PCBs in the area. It is anticipated that fish samples will be collected and analyzed in 2023 to determine whether contaminant concentrations have sufficiently declined to levels comparable to non-AOC reference sites.
After the removal of the last BUI, the Mansitique River AOC can be removed from the international list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. As that milestone is approached, local assistance in the delisting process is desired. If you would like to be involved, contact Corey Barr, City of Manistique Water and Wastewater Superintendent, at 906-341-2281 or water@mstq-water.com.
