Jan 17, 2018
Contact: Rachel Coale, 517-290-4295
Dredging restrictions lifted in the St. Marys
River
The Michigan Office of the Great Lakes today announced a
milestone in progress to restore the St. Marys River.
The St. Marys River flows from Lake Superior to Lake
Huron through the famed Soo Locks. Due to environmental degradation from
industrial and municipal pollution, the river was designated as a binational
Area of Concern under the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement.
Negative impacts to the river – things that affect communities by inhibiting
economic activity, outdoor recreation and environmental health – were labeled “Beneficial
Use Impairments” (BUIs).
“It’s incredibly important for us to remove impairments
from our Great Lakes waters. People should be able to safely swim in the water and eat
the fish they catch, as well as enjoy productive, working waterfronts,” said Office of the Great
Lakes Director Jon W. Allan.
Office of the Great Lakes experts worked with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the St.
Marys River Binational Public Advisory Council to restore the U.S. side of the
river and remove the “Restrictions on Dredging Activities” BUI. Dredging is the
process of removing solids from the bottom of the riverbed to ensure the navigation
channel is deep enough for ships to safely pass.
To restore the St. Marys River, sediments contaminated
with heavy metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (a class of carcinogenic
chemicals) were removed from the river. Now, no special treatment of dredge
material is required to maintain the navigation channel. A portion of funding
was provided through the Great Lakes Legacy Act and Superfund programs.
Management actions to restore the U.S. side of the river
are now complete. Canada has a separate process for its part of the
river.
“The St. Marys River is essential to the communities of
Sault Ste Marie, Michigan and Ontario, Canada for a significant maritime
shipping industry, outdoor recreation and world-class sport fishing,” said
Allan. “Restoring the river maintains a healthy ecosystem, reverses damage from
historic pollution and supports sustainable economic activity.”
This accomplishment is Michigan’s 47th BUI removal from
an original 111. Five out of 10 impairments have been successfully restored in
the St. Marys River. With the contaminants removed, Office of the Great
Lakes staff expect that remaining
impairments to the river will naturally recover over time. More information can
be found on Michigan’s St. Marys River AOC webpage.
Learn more about the Office of the Great Lakes’ work to
protect, restore, and sustain Michigan’s waters at www.michigan.gov/deqogl.
For more information, contact Rachel
Coale or John
Riley.
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