Public invited to comment on proposal to remove Sediment & Nutrient Loading Impairment in St. Louis River AOC
Comment period open until Tuesday, March 24
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are seeking public comments on our joint recommendation to remove the Excessive Sediment and Nutrient Loading Beneficial Use Impairment from the St. Louis River Area of Concern.
After the U.S. and Canada listed St. Louis River as an Area of Concern in 1987, the Remedial Action Plan identified “Excessive Loading of Sediment and Nutrients” as one of nine environmental problems called Beneficial Use Impairments in the AOC Program. Although wholesale logging and lumber milling had ended and wastewater treatment had vastly improved, the delivery of excessive loads of sediment and nutrients remained as an important local issue because little was known about the effects of the estuary’s unique turbidity, algae, and nutrient conditions.
Nutrient and sediment conditions in the Area of Concern have improved since it was listed. Data from multiple studies show a dramatic decline in nutrient concentrations and sediment loading in the Area of Concern. While certain tributaries still do show higher sediment levels, this is due to the nature of the loose clay soils that the river moves through. Healthy plant and animal communities are also using the river’s sediment-rich habitats. Removal targets have been met and multiple lines of evidence support a recommendation to remove this Beneficial Use Impairment from the St. Louis River Area of Concern. The results of these studies, along with support from a team of technical experts, agency partners, staff, and stakeholders support this recommendation.
The removal recommendation documents are available for public review and comment from February 24 – March 24, 2020. The removal document, its appendices, the comment form, and the fact sheet with public meeting information can be found online at https://www.pca.state.mn.us/waste/st-louis-river-area-concern-resources. Paper copies of the removal document and its appendices are also available for review at the Superior Public Library (1530 Tower Ave.) and the Duluth Public Library (520 W Superior St.), along with comment forms and fact sheets that can be taken by the interested parties.
General questions about the removal proposal or process can be directed to Barb Huberty, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency AOC Coordinator, at (218) 302-6630 or Matt Steiger, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources AOC Coordinator at (715) 395-6904.
Comments can be submitted electronically to Barb Huberty, MPCA AOC Coordinator, at: barbara.huberty@state.mn.us until 5:00 pm on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Or, they may be mailed to:
Barb Huberty, St. Louis River Area of Concern Coordinator
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
525 Lake Ave South, Suite 400
Duluth, MN 55802
Written and electronic comments received before 5:00 pm on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 will be considered. A final removal recommendation for the Excessive Loading of Sediment and Nutrients Beneficial Use Impairment will be prepared and submitted to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency after public input has been reviewed and considered. Once removed, six more Beneficial Use Impairments remain that must be addressed before the entire St Louis River Area of Concern can be delisted.
The St. Louis Area of Concern is one of 43 such areas designated by the US and Canada in 1987 due to the significant environmental degradation that occurred here before environmental regulations were adopted.
This work was included in the St. Louis River Area of Concern Remedial Action Plan and was funded primarily by the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, with oversight by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Great Lake National Program Office. The agencies implementing this work are the Fond du Lac band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
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