EPA to clean up Lake Superior

The Environmental Protection Agency has granted $6m to the city of Ishpeming in Michigan, US, to help eliminate mercury contamination in Lake Superior.

Granted under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), the grant will allow the city to stop the flow of mercury-contaminated water into Deer Lake and the Lake Superior watershed.

Expected to be completed in 2013, the project will receive $4.8m of the grant in 2012 and remainder in 2013.

Programme manager Susan Hedman said, "When this project is completed, the area of concern will be ready to be designated as an area of recovery."

Work began in 2010 to redirect the flow of Partridge Creek, which is responsible for bringing in the mercury contaminants into the lake.

On completion of the project the underground steam will cease to flow through mercury-contaminated mine shafts, thus eliminating the contamination source.

Office of the Great Lakes director Patty Birkholz said, "The project to restore Partridge Creek will eliminate the largest point source of mercury to Deer Lake and is expected to be the last critical step in removing the Deer Lake area of concern from the list of toxic hotspots."

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Image: The Deer Lake ‘area of concern’ on Lake Superior will be cleaned of mercury contaminants by 2013. Photo: stanthejeep.