Information regarding the Degradation of Benthos BUI in Michigan

In the Stage 1 RAP, it was noted that the benthic community health on the Michigan side of the river was good, and benthic organisms requiring clean water were observed along the Michigan shoreline, except on the north side of Sugar Island and in localized portions of Lake Nicolet.

In Michigan, two major clean-ups make up the progress on this BUI: the Tannery Bay Superfund site, and the Consumers Energy Manufactured Gas Plant site. The Tannery Bay remedial action report can be found here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. You can also see the EPA Fact Sheet about Tannery Bay here. USEPA is finalizing monitoring and expects to remove Tannery Bay from the National Priorities List (the Superfund list) in 2017. The Consumers Energy Manufactured Gas Plant site was cleaned up under the authority of the Great Lakes Legacy Act, and the final report on its clean-up (and a brief summary) can be found here.

The Guidance for Delisting for Degradation of Benthos BUI is available for reference; however, BPAC has adopted local criteria for delisting this BUI. Under the BPAC’s local criteria, remedial actions for known contaminated sites in both the U.S. and Canada must be undertaken for delisting to occur.

Additional information related to sediments is available at the Sediment Assessment and Dredging Materials page.