The next chapter in the epic book of cleaning up the St. Louis River Estuary is taking shape with a plan announced Friday to clean up contaminated sediment off Munger Landing in western Duluth.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency said the cleanup will cost more than $19 million and includes dredging up 121,400 cubic yards of sediment — more than 1,200 dump truck loads — heavily contaminated with toxic mercury, lead, nickel, zinc, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins and furans.
All of the material will be dredged, dewatered and disposed at a local landfill.
The river off Munger Landing, at the end of Clyde Avenue, is one of the highly contaminated sites in the estuary/harbor, which is one of the 43 heavily polluted "Areas of Concern" around the Great Lakes.
Historically, the western shore of the site was used for railroad transportation. Historical maps also indicate that steel mill operations occurred north and south of the western shore of the site and ship building operations occurred in the slips located directly adjacent to the site just downstream. Some of the contaminants may also have come from the former Duluth sewage treatment plant located near the site.
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The MPCA plans to apply for a federal Great Lakes restoration grant later this year. The Minnesota Legislature already has allocated state dollars for the project. Because the contaminated area stretches into Wisconsin areas of the river, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is also involved.
The area is a popular boat landing, shore fishing and recreation area in the Smithville neighborhood along the city’s stretch of the river and is the proposed site of a kayak landing proposed as part of the city’s western river corridor redevelopment plan.
The cleanup could begin as soon as 2022, the MPCA said Friday.
Contaminants at the site have spurred problems including restrictions on dredging, fish consumption advisories warning people not to eat some fish caught in the area; harmful conditions for insects and vegetation living at the sediment surface; beach closings and body contact restrictions; and loss of fish and wildlife habitat.
The Munger Landing project, when funded, would follow current harbor cleanups at the AGP/Northland Pier Slip, the AZCON/Duluth Seaway Port Authority Slip and the ponds behind Erie Pier. Another plan is in the works to clean up huge amounts of contaminated sediment off the old U.S. Steel mill site just upriver from Munger Landing.
Go to www.pca.state.mn.us/featured/remedies-contaminated-sites-duluth-harbor for more information about cleanup and restoration activities in the estuary, including cleanup options considered for Munger Landing.
