August 2023: St. Louis River Area of Concern Updates
The St. Louis River (SLR) was designated as one of the 31 Areas of Concern (AOC) on the Great Lakes. It was designated as an AOC under the U.S. – Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1987 because of significant impacts that occurred before modern environmental laws were in place. Following the SLRAOC Remedial Action Plan, state and federal agencies have been implementing management actions to address the legacy impairments. If you look, you can now see the work in progress throughout the SLRAOC: contractors are busy each construction season, plant and animal populations are rebounding, water is cleaner, and lost habitat is being restored.
Here are some current project updates, continue reading for further details:
Munger Landing: Remedial construction is going well. Over 93,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments have been dredged and removed so far.
Spirit Lake/U.S. Steel: This site is NOT open to the public. For everyone’s safety, please stay off the site, trails, railroad tracks and shorelines. For more information click HERE.
Pickle Pond: Crews have removed all the contaminated sediment at Pickle Pond & transported it to a landfill. For more information click HERE.
Scanlon Reservoir: Upland site restoration activities will resume in August. See more details below.
Thomson Reservoir: A new sign at the Thomson Reservoir Kayak Center has information about the sediment remediation project that starts in 2024. A public meeting will be held at the Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College on September 21st, details below.
Snively Creek: Environmental Protection Agency & Minnesota Pollution Control Agency staff are hosting a public open house to discuss the PCB cleanup near Snively Creek on Thursday, August 17th from 4:30 to 6:30 P.M. in the Grand Ave Apartments Community Room, address below. Soil excavation to remove the contamination will begin the week of 8/21.
Photo: Munger Landing Site, provided by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Munger Landing
Remedial construction at Munger Landing is going well. Over 93,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments have been dredged and removed so far. The public is reminded to please stay away from the site until it reopens in the spring of 2024.
Photo: Trail barrier, provided by JF Brennan
Spirit Lake & U.S. Steel Site
The Spirit Lake/U.S. Steel site is NOT open to the public. For everyone’s safety, please stay off the site, trails, railroad tracks and shorelines. Construction equipment and planting teams will be working at the site until the project is completed in late 2023
For more information: https://www.epa.gov/great-lakes-aocs/spirit-lake-great-lakes-legacy-act-cleanup
Photo: Crew checking the elevation of sediment placement near the filter strip and wetland restoration area at White Lake Dock and Dredge.
Pickle Pond
Crews have removed all the contaminated sediment at Pickle Pond & transported it to a landfill. Rail removal, filter strip construction & monitoring of water clarity continues. Dredging to deepen the pond and construct a wetland has begun.
For more information: https://pickle-pond-epa.hub.arcgis.com/
Scanlon Reservoir
Upland site restoration activities at the Scanlon Reservoir will resume in August. The public parking area, fishing pier and walk-in paddle sport landing are open to the public but may experience disruption at times.
Thomson Reservoir
A new sign at the Thomson Reservoir Kayak Center has information about the sediment remediation project that starts in 2024. A public meeting about the project will be held on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023 at 6 pm at the Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College. Watch for more information in the coming weeks.
Snively Creek
Environmental Protection Agency & Minnesota Pollution Control Agency staff are hosting a public open house to discuss the PCB cleanup near Snively Creek on Thursday August 17th, from 4:30 to 6:30 P.M. in the Grand Ave Apartments Community Room, (9215 Zimmerly Ave, Duluth). Soil excavation to remove the contamination will begin the week of 8/21.
