MENOMINEE, MI-- The lower Menominee River has been removed from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern.
A three-mile section of the river was contaminated with arsenic, paint sludge, coal tar, heavy metal, petroleum, and PCBs.
Liesl Clark is director of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. She says it’s taken a 35-year partnership between her department, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to reach this milestone.
Some actions undertaken over the years include upgrades to wastewater treatment systems by the cities of Menominee and Marinette, four contaminated sediment remediation projects, and four habitat restoration and enhancement projects.
Delisting does not mean the area has returned to a pristine historic condition. It means the legacy problems identified in the 1990 remedial action plan meet established criteria today. There will be ongoing remediation and restoration efforts on the lower Menominee River.
