Cleanup removes tons of mercury from Michigan lake
A dredging project removed 43,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the bottom of Muskegon Lake and advanced efforts to remove the lake from a list of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern.
Description
Historic pollution discharges into a storm sewer that drained into Muskegon Lake, which flows into Lake Michigan, deposited tons of mercury and petroleum compounds on the lake bottom. The pollutants contaminated fish, destroyed habitat and contributed to Muskegon Lake being named a Great Lakes Area of Concern in the late 1980s. The tainted sediments contaminated fish, prompting consumption advisories. The dredging near the Division Street outfall was the second major sediment removal project in the Muskegon Lake Area of Concern. The EPA recently completed a $10 million project that removed 95,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from Ruddiman Creek, a tributary of Muskegon Lake. Those cleanups will bolster efforts to get the lake delisted as a Great Lakes Area of Concern.
Resource Challenges Addressed
Contaminated sediments laced with mercury
Fish consumption advisories
Loss of fish habitat
Location
Muskegon, Mich.
Approximate Cost
$12,000,000, most of which came from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
Key Partners
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Muskegon County and the city of Muskegon
Types of Jobs Created
Barge and dredge operators, truck drivers, biologists, chemists, toxicologists and general laborers
MUSKEGON LAKE SEDIMENT CLEANUP
Contaminated sediment was removed from Muskegon Lake to help address long-standing pollution problems. Credit: Lynn Vaccaro Michigan Sea Grant.
Results and Accomplishments
Removed 43,000 cubic yards of sediment contaminated with mercury and petroleum compounds from Muskegon Lake, which will reduce fish contaminants. The project cleaned up 46 areas of the bottom of Muskegon Lake, a popular fishing and boating lake in west Michigan.
