Disagreements abound over Saginaw River Dredging facility; hearing
June 25, 08 by TheFleetIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
by Jeff Kart | Source: The Bay City Times (See photos, map)
The [Dredged Material Disposal Facility] - a 200-acre clay pit built in Frankenlust and Zilwaukee townships to hold dredgings from the Upper Saginaw River - was discussed Tuesday night at a public meeting at Saginaw Valley State University.
Disagreements were everywhere among the 50 people who attended.
… Residents who live across from the site in Zilwaukee Township, which also includes hundreds of acres of constructed wetlands, don’t think either agency has done enough to deal with their concerns.
They worry that the DMDF was built in a flood plain that was underwater in 1986 and will hold levels of dioxins and furans far above the state residential contact criteria for the compounds, of 90 parts per trillion.
Dioxin levels in the Saginaw River, blamed on historical discharges by Dow Chemical in Midland, have been measured at 1.6 million parts per trillion, the highest in the nation.
Terry Miller, chairman of the local Lone Tree Council environmental group, said the Corps should conduct environmental dredging, with a vacuum and hose, rather than standard dredging, with a crane and bucket, to minimize the spread of contaminants.
But Leady said his agency has determined that “standard mechanical dredging is a safe practice here.”
… The Corps plans to award a contract in August, and conduct the dredging throughout the rest of the year, putting in the most contaminated materials first, based on sediment testing.
Solids in the dredgings, which will be mostly water, will settle out in three cells of the facility over a number of months.
Water will be discharged back to the river once it’s been tested and shown to meet DEQ water quality standards.
Excellent detailed story, see photos and map at The Bay City Times >>
