An idea brought forth by David Demmer of Cook County Planning & Zoning to restore a portion of the Grand Marais Recreational Park to its original wetlands state received a blow after an environmental engineer reviewed the almost two-acre site and found quite a few problems with it.
Demmer proposed to establish a mitigation bank in the park at a Grand Marais Park Board meeting held in early March. According to the Environmental Pollution Control Agency (EPA) fact sheet, “A mitigation bank is a wetland, stream, or other aquatic resource area that has been restored, established, enhanced, or (in certain circumstances) preserved for the purpose of providing compensation for unavoidable impacts to aquatic resources permitted (under Section 404) or a similar state or local wetland regulation.”
The area in question lies near the water plant and encompasses the old power plant land and runs west along the park near Lake Superior.
John McCarthy of CHMM Environmental Troubleshooters looked at the proposed site and sent his report back to Grand Marais City Administrator Mike Roth.
“Most of the area planned for restoration is contaminated at depth by diesel and a significant portion is contaminated with arsenic, lead and PCBs in shallow soils. The deeper diesel is pretty well delineated, but would need a higher level of control if the City were planning to excavate the soils.
“The shallow metals and PCB contamination was never fully delineated, but was only delineated to the level necessary for disposal profiling when we were still considering digging up the diesel contaminated soils. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) subsequently allowed the city to leave the diesel contamination in soils and groundwater, but the city’s obligation to complete the delineation of the metal and PCBs was never fulfilled.
“Some funding might be recovered if the Petro Fund monies from prior work is requested. There may also be some grant money through Lessard-Sams Legacy Grant or other grant sources,” wrote McCarthy.
Demmer proposed to couple the wetland restoration with the possible work that will take place if and when funding can be found to improve the public boat access area located near the dog pound in the park.
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