ALLEGAN, Mich — The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began its cleanup of the contaminated area around the Trowbridge Dam last week.
The cleanup effort is centered around polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated soil and sediment along a 2.4-mile section of the Kalamazoo River upstream from the dam.
The EPA is excavating and removing the contaminated soil ahead of the entire dam's removal as part of the state's Dam Risk Reduction Program.
The EPA is notifying people living in the area that they will see trucks moving along 108th Avenue, bringing in equipment and materials.
Work in the area will include:
- Dredging, excavating and disposing of sediment and riverbank soil contaminated by PCBs.
- Stabilizing riverbanks to limit exposure to PCBs as well as limiting future erosion of contaminated floodplain soil.
The Dam Risk Reduction Program utilized $14.1 million in grants to repair or remove 22 dams statewide. The Trowbridge Dam project is using $1.8 million of the grant dollars. Here's what that money is going to be used for:
- $1 million: To the city of Allegan for repair of Allegan City Dam, a high-hazard dam in poor condition. A leading contributor is the deteriorating condition of the stop logs. Funds from the DRRGP are recommended to be used to remove and replace the stop logs in the spillway. Replacement of the stop logs will extend the life of the dam and is important in the mitigation of contamination transportation from the Kalamazoo River Superfund site.
- $500,000: To the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Wildlife Division, for a feasibility study, design, engineering, and permitting to remove the Swan Creek Dam, restore floodplain connectivity of the Koopman Marsh, and modify the Highbanks Dam to restore floodplain connectivity and prevent sea lamprey passage.
- $300,000: To the DNR, Wildlife Division, for the repair of Trowbridge Dam. This includes stability analysis, riprap repairs, void repairs, etc. As a high-hazard dam in poor condition, these repairs are needed to stabilize the site until the Superfund project manages the contamination concerns that the dam site presents.
The EPA is working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy on the cleanup.
