E.P.A. and U.S. Steel Provide $3.5 Million for Spirit Lake Cleanup Project

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(CHICAGO) -- The E.P.A. today announced that an additional $3.5 million has been made accessible for work in the Spirit Lake portion of the Saint Louis River Area of Concern on Lake Superior near Duluth, Minnesota.

E.P.A. will provide $2.275 million through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and U.S. Steel will provide $1.225 million to study options for cleaning up contaminated sediment in Spirit Lake. The backing will also cover design costs for the cleanup option that is ultimately selected. Construction and cleanup work in Spirit Lake could begin in late 2016.

During the past 5 years, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative backing has been used to accelerated work in "Areas of Concern" throughout the Great Lakes Basin - and to complete all required cleanup work in 6 Areas of Concern. The U.S. and Canada designated 43 Areas of Concern under the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Arrangement in an effort to target sites contaminated primarily by industrial activity that occurred before modern environmental laws were enacted.

More information on the Saint Louis River and Bay Area of Concern: http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/aoc/stlouis/.

More information on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: www.glri.us.

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