HOUGHTON, MI-- Michigan Sea Grant is funding a Michigan Technological University project to assess a former mining site.
Torch Lake was impacted by copper mining from the mid-1800s to the late 1960s. The Environmental Protection Agency listed it as an Area of Concern in 1987 and conducted a site cleanup. But the state says some issues remain.
Michigan Sea Grant is giving $119,339 to Tech, which will match $59,677 for the Torch Lake project. Officials say research will combine existing information on the lake with historical information that has not been previously compiled. They want to provide a comprehensive picture of the history of the area to educate and engage stakeholders, and ultimately provide information that can be used to help clean up the site, where needed.
The project is expected to begin this year and be conducted over the next three years.
