EPA resumes final phase of Rouge River sediment cleanup in Detroit

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has resumed dredging operations in the Lower Rouge River Old Channel in Detroit, Michigan, marking the final phase of an $84 million, multi-year cleanup project aimed at restoring water quality in the Rouge River Area of Concern.

The effort will address more than 100,000 cubic yards of sediment contaminated with coal tar and petroleum products in the heavily industrialized navigation channel. Approximately 70,000 cubic yards will be dredged and transported by barge to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facility in Monroe, Michigan, while roughly 35,000 cubic yards will be contained in place using an engineered cap to prevent further spread of contamination.

Funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and a cost-sharing agreement with Honeywell Inc., the project represents a key milestone in long-term sediment remediation efforts across the Great Lakes basin.