Work on the first area of the $25 million project to excavate PCB-contaminated soil near the Otsego Township dam is wrapping up, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials overseeing the work.
On-scene coordinator Paul Ruesch said the staging area on Jefferson Road was in the process of being dismantled as excavation and bank restoration efforts have largely concluded on the first section of work, a 1,760-foot section of the south side of the nearby river.
“Originally, we were hoping to finish work all the way (east) to the M-89 bridge before winter,” Ruesch said, saying despite that they met the EPA goals. “We’re pleased with the progress this year.”
That first area of work stretches east from Pine Creek Dam, near 21st Street.
To date, the project has removed 7,224.55 tons of sediment. Only 103.91 tons of that amount has had a concentration of PCB over 50 parts per million and been hauled to a special EPA landfill on the other side of the state. The rest has been put in Grand Rapids landfill.
PCB, a carcinogenic byproduct of the paper manufacturing process that was dumped into the river, is found in varying concentrations throughout the riverbank.
Overall, the project will address a 1.7-mile stretch of the river between the Otsego Township dam and the M89 bridge. It is expected to excavate 120,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil. The end result is a rebuilt riverbank with a concentration of PCB no higher than 5 parts per billion in the soil.
The next area of work will be directly visible to drivers as they cross the bridge on M-89: it will be 900 feet of riverbank on the south side of the waterway ending at the bridge
For the full story, pick up a copy of the Dec. 1 issue of The Allegan County News/The Union Enterprise or subscribe to the e-edition.