►Video: “Success Stories: The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative”
►Video: “A Seat at the Table: The Great Lakes Legacy Act”
►EPA information: Sheboygan River Project Highlights
Below is an excerpt from www.greatlakesmud.org
The Sheboygan River was cleaned up in 2012 and 2013, transforming “a black eye on the community” into a tremendous asset. The removal of PCB-contaminated sediment from the lower river and harbor has led to a reduction of pollution in the food chain and over time should lessen restrictions on fish consumption. The river can now act as a thoroughfare for boaters to Lake Michigan without worry of boat damage from contaminated sediment deposits. Community leaders look forward to increased tourism as well, as the stigma of pollution lifts with the passage of time.
Location
Many sediment cleanups took place nearby on the Sheboygan River and at the same time of the Great Lakes Legacy Act project. This included two Superfund projects, a former manufactured gas plant at Camp Marina and another cleanup upstream of the 8th Street Bridge, as well as a navigational dredging project by U.S. EPA from the 8th Street Bridge to the river mouth. The Legacy Act project targeted sediment between the C&NW Bridge and the 8th Street Bridge.
Cleanup Process
Legacy dredging was coordinated alongside three Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) habitat restoration projects, as well as three sediment remediation projects in 2011-2012. Sediment projects were administered under Superfund and the GLRI, remediating an additional 250,000 cubic yards of sediment. The University of Wisconsin-Extension played a large outreach role in cooperation with Sea Grant and the municipalities.
- Sediment remediated: 148,000 cubic yards
- Contaminants: PCBs and PAHs
- Method: Mechanical dredging and a sand cover
- When: 2012 and 2013
- Partners: U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Sheboygan County, the City of Sheboygan, Pollution Risk Services, and Wisconsin Public Service
- Cost: $59.1 million
- Note: The cost figure includes funding match generated under activities performed for Superfund remediation.
Long-term Benefits
- Enhanced the river as a recreational asset for the community and a thoroughfare to Lake Michigan
- Citizen reports of a higher quality of life, increased recreational opportunities, and improved perceptions of the river overall
- Removal of shallow deposits of contaminated sediment that caused extensive boat damage and perpetuated a fear of the river
- Reduction of PCBs in the food chain, which could lead to lessened restrictions on fish consumption over time