Detroit Riverwalk Sediment Remediation

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) and its non-federal sponsor, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, funded the remediation of an area along the Detroit Riverwalk in the Detroit River Area of Concern (AOC). The site is upstream of downtown Detroit and was remediated under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative’s (GLRI) sediment remediation component of the Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA). The work is an important step in removing the Detroit River AOC from a list of the most polluted places around the Great Lakes. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, is responsible for the establishment, improvement, operation, maintenance, security, programming, and expansion of the Detroit Riverwalk and associated green spaces. Through its public/private partnerships, the conservancy supports the development of the riverfront district and facilitates community access to the waterfront. Discharge from industry, stormwater outfalls, Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), and non-point pollution sources have contributed to the accumulation of contaminants within the sediments of the Detroit River. Contaminants within the sediments are primarily PAHs. Sevenson was awarded the contract on a competitive bid basis.