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Division Street Outfall Great Lakes Legacy Act Project

Background

Sediment in the Division Street Outfall site is contaminated with mercury and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. Pollution has harmed fish and wildlife and damaged their habitat, so a fish consumption advisory is in effect for the entire Muskegon Lake AOC. Also, recreational activity in the area may stir up the sediment, releasing contaminants into the water where they could flow downstream and ultimately reach Lake Michigan.

Tests done between 2005 and 2008 show mercury contamination in sediment outside the Hartshorn Marina and within the inlet where the DSO is located, as well as other parts of the bay. PAH contamination is limited to the inlet and that part of the bay immediately next to the marina and the mouth of the inlet. Most of the contamination is in the top two feet of sediment but it can be as low as five feet down. The area of deepest contamination is primarily within the inlet and near the mouth of the inlet.

Results of the sediment studies were also used in evaluating ongoing sources of contamination to this area of Muskegon Lake. Michigan DEQ's analysis of sediment and stormwater within the DSO storm drain system showed the drain is no longer a source of contaminants to Muskegon Lake.

Site Updates

September 2011: Cleanup Underway

Work began in June 2011 to clean up on cleaning up contaminated sediment at the Division Street Outfall site in a bay on the south shore of Muskegon Lake, not far from downtown Muskegon, Michigan. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality expect to finish the project by the end of this year. The site is part of the Muskegon Lake Area of Concern.

EPA and MDEQ are using Great Lakes Legacy Act funds to dig up and dispose of about 41,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment. Workers will then place a layer of sand over about 60 acres of sediment to contain any remaining contamination and speed up natural recovery in the area that is not dredged. Dredging of contaminated sediment began in June 2011 and will continue through November 2011. After sediment is dredged, it is dewatered, loaded into sealed trucks, and transported to Ottawa Farms landfill in Coopersville, MI for disposal. Sanding operations began in September 2011 and will continue through the end of December 2011. Once the dredging is done, EPA will test the sediment to ensure the cleanup meets its objectives. The project includes nearshore habitat restoration in part of the site.

• First Phase Begins on Project to Clean Up Contaminated Sediment (PDF) (2pp, 334K) September 2011

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