DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has signed a $2.9 million agreement to remediate contaminated sediment along Detroit’s east riverfront.
The cleanup will allow for further expansion of the popular Detroit Riverwalk.
Work will be funded through a Great Lakes Legacy Act cost-sharing partnership with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.
The EPA is expected to isolate and stabilize about 13,000 cubic yards (about 9,900 cubic meters) of sediment with a cap. The Riverfront Conservancy then will cover the cap with a stone rip rap which will stabilize an aging seawall and support the riverwalk.
Construction is to start this summer. The Riverfront Conservancy has agreed to contribute up to 35% of the project cost.
The site is downstream of the MacArthur Bridge that allows access to Detroit’s Belle Isle island park.
“This project is a significant step in realizing our vision of a connected riverfront,” said Mark Wallace, the Riverfront Conservancy’s president and chief executive. “Once the sediment cap is in place, we can connect two of our most popular parks on the riverfront and create a direct link to Belle Isle.”
The contaminated sediment is within the Detroit River Area of Concern which has been identified by the U.S. and Canada as one of 43 toxic hot spots in the Great Lakes basin.
Featured image: Detroit RiverWalk. Photo by Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.
