Great Lakes Legacy Act

Trenton Channel/Riverview, Michigan

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently began work to assess contaminated sediment in the Upper Trenton Channel as part of the Great Lakes Legacy Act. This $1.2 million project is a preliminary step toward dealing with contaminated sediment that remains in the Trenton Channel, an urban waterway with an extensive history of industrial development and use.

This project also brings about a voluntary partnership between the EPA and BASF Corp. and Arkema to assess and share information gathered regarding the contaminated sediment. Under this voluntary partnership arrangement, sampling of the sediment (mud) will take place in late April and early May. Around 140 samples will be collected at various locations in the Upper Trenton Channel to fill gaps in the understanding of the sediment contamination. Additionally, this project will complete a feasibility study, or FS. The FS will identify and compare different options for addressing contaminated sediment in the Upper Trenton Channel project area, shown in the aerial photo on P. 2.

Part of the Detroit River AOC

The Detroit River is a 32-mile international waterway linking Lake St. Clair and the upper Great Lakes to Lake Erie. The Detroit River Area of Concern, or AOC, is shared between the United States and Canada. AOCs were designated by Canada and the U.S. as Great Lakes locations damaged by historical industrial and municipal pollution. Forty-three AOCs have been identified: 26 located entirely within the United States; 12 located wholly within Canada; and five shared by both countries. Two Canadian AOCs have been cleaned up and “delisted,” and one U.S. AOC has been delisted, leaving 30 locations on the American side of the border.

New Partnership Spearheads Sediment Study Trenton Channel Great Lakes Legacy Act Project
Wyandotte, Michigan April 2011 (pdf, 2 pages, 409Kb)

On April 14, GLLA staff met with community members on the upcoming sampling and work going on in the Upper Trenton Channel. Friends of the Detroit River, Detroit Riverkeeper, Area of Concern representatives, Army Corps of Engineers staff and others met in Riverview City Hall to discuss the project. Charlie Bristol of the FDR kicked off the meeting and there was significant discussion of the project and GLLA as well as areas of potential collaboration. 

Trenton Channel
Remedial Investigation Report
Interim Final, July 2010 (pdf, 412 pages, 13Mb)

Friends Of The Detroit River
www.detroitriver.org

For more information/em>
Great Lakes Legacy Act:
Marc Tuchman
312-353-1369
tuchman.marc@epa.gov