United States Region 5 Illinois, Indiana,
Environmental Protection 77 West Jackson Blvd. Michigan, Minnesota,
Agency Chicago, Illinois 60604 Ohio, Wisconsin
-SERA Environmental
NEWS RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Karen Thompson, 312-353-8547, thompson.karEniaEpa.gov
FDR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Na.Da-DPA242
GREAT LAKES LEGACY ACT OTTAWA RIVER CLEANUP UNDERWAY
CHICAGO'(Dec. 23,2003)-U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Ottawa River
Group and the state of Ohio began construction on phase one of a $49 million
cleanup of the Ottawa River and Sibley Creek in Toledo, Ohio, on Dec. 19.
Under EPA's Great Lakes Legacy Act, the project partners will remove
approximately 260,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the river and
creek. The goal of the project is to reduce impacts to human health and the
environment on the Ottawa River. This is the eighth cleanup of a contaminated
site under the Legacy Act.
"The start of this cleanup brings us closer to the day when the public can safely
eat all fish from the Great Lakes and their tributaries," said Bharat Mathur, EPA
acting regional administrator.
Sediment (mud) in the river and creek is contaminated with a mixture of heavy
metals, PCBs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons called PAHs. The sediment
contamination in the Ottawa River is a key contributor to the fish advisories
currently in place and limit the amount offish that can be safely eaten.
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During phase one of the project 15,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment
will be removed from Sibley Creek, processed on-site to remove excess water
and transported to the city of Toledo's Hoffman Road Landfill for disposal. Sibley
Creek is a 1.1-mile long tributary to the Ottawa River that enters the river about
four miles upstream of the river mouth. The Sibley Creek work is expected to be
completed by the end of January.
In April 2DID dredging af the main channel af the Ottawa River will begin. Same 245,ODD cubic yards c-f
contaminated sediment will be removed. Dredging activities in the Ottawa River are expected tc be completed by
late 2DID.
EPA is providing $24.5 million for the project through the Great Lakes Legacy Act, a federal program targeted at
cleaning up contaminated sediment in Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The Ottawa River Group, a consortium of
private businesses in partnership with the city of Toledo, will provide the remaining $24.5 million. The city is
providing space in its municipal landfill as their cost share.
Web site: http://www.epa.gov/glla/ottawa/
For more information on the project: Scott Cieniawski, U.S. EPA Region 5, 3I2-353-8547,
cieniawski.scott@epa.gov.
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