The sediment cleanup at the River Raisin is complete!

The City of Monroe is home to the only Michigan port on Lake Erie, serving industrial and recreational boating needs for over a century. The Lake Erie and River Raisin shorelines have been host to steel manufacturing plants, power production, and other industrial uses since the early 1900s. Because waste disposal was unregulated at that time, industrial pollutants like PCBs were dumped directly into the water.

Thanks to multiple habitat restoration activities and sediment cleanups, including the Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) work in 2012-2013 and 2016, the River Raisin can now be used safely by humans, fish and wildlife. These activities have helped to restore the River Raisin and revitalize the economic and ecological future of the Monroe area.

Location

The GLLA cleanup of River Raisin took place northeast of the turning basin in the Port of Monroe, one mile upstream of Lake Erie. Sediment was dredged from the northern shoreline to the center of the navigation channel, in the area in front of the Ford Motor Company property. The most highly contaminated sediment was located in the area labeled "NAPL Area" on the diagram. The project took place in two phases with a first field effort in 2012-2013 and a followup field effort in 2016.

The River Raisin cleanup site is located in Monroe, MI  approximately one mile from the river mouth at Lake Erie. The site is located within the River Raisin Area of Concern.

River Raisin project site, including on-shore operations

Cleanup Process

Sediment remediated: 125,000 cubic yards
Contaminants: PCBs, NAPL 
Method: Mechanical dredging and hydraulic dredging, capping
When: 2012-2013 and 2016
Partners: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ford Motor Company, and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Cost: $44.2 Million
Notes: The contaminated sediment was transported to a disposal facility in Wayne County, MI. The facility is certified to handle contaminated material.

Long-term Benefits

• The cleanup reduced PCB contamination from the watershed's food chain, lessening exposure for people who eat fish from the River Raisin and nearby Lake Erie. It may take years before all fish advisories in the River Raisin are less restrictive.
• The cleanup removed dredging restrictions in the navigational channel, improving navigation for commerce and pleasure boating.
• Local partners are investigating an expansion of biking and hiking trails to the lower reaches of the River Raisin.
• A cleaner watershed is leading to increased opportunities for recreation and tourism in Southeast Michigan.

Drone footage shows the dredge working in the River Raisin to remove contaminated sediment from the navigation channel and transport it to shore, where it was stabilized and loaded into trucks for transport to the disposal facility in Wayne County, MI. (Video credit: Anchor QEA)

More Information

Documents and Resources
River Raisin informational flyer (PDF, 2p, 13.1 MB) July 2016
EPA public meeting presentation at Monroe City Hall (PDF, 16p, 3.91 MB) June 2016
River Raisin Beneficial Use Impairments removal recommendation (PDF, 43p, 5.36 MB) May 2015

Stakeholders
City of Monroe Commission on the Environment and Water Quality
River Raisin Institute
River Raisin Watershed Council
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency