Menominee River
Area of Concern

Background | Use Impairments RAP Status | Schedule Progress and Achievements Priorities/Outlook | Research | Publications Community Involvement | Partners | Contacts

What is an AOC and a RAP?

Background

IMPORTANT BACKGROUND NOTE: A primary pollutant of concern in the Lower Menominee River is arsenic, which was discharged from a herbicide production facility (Ansul) from 1957 to 1977. Under more recent RCRA corrective action enforcement efforts sediment and groundwater remediation efforts were implemented in the Eighth Street Slip area. Additional assessment and cleanup of the larger turning basin are slated for implementation over the next several years. Other pollutants of concern identified in the AOC included paint sludge and coal tar.

The Menominee River forms the boundary between the northeast corner of Wisconsin and the southern tip of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The river's headwaters originate in both states. The main stem of the river flows between the cities of Menominee, Michigan, and Marinette, Wisconsin before emptying into Green Bay.

The Menominee River Area of Concern (AOC) includes the lower 4.8 km of the river from the Upper Scott Paper Company (Wisconsin) Dam to the river's mouth and approximately 5 km north and south of the mouth along the adjacent shoreline of Green Bay. The AOC also includes the cities of Marinette and Menominee, as well as the adjacent nearshore area of Green Bay, Wisconsin, extending three miles north and south of the river mouth. Land use in the AOC is primarily industrial and residential. A chemical company, two paper mills, two municipal wastewater treatment plants, a ship building company, and a foundry are located along the river. The AOC watershed is shared between Michigan and Wisconsin. The Wisconsin DNR is the lead agency.

Beneficial Use Impairments

Six of 14 beneficial use impairments have been identified through the Remedial Action Plan (RAP) process. A primary cause of the identified use impairments is arsenic contamination in the turning basin and in sediments along the right bank (downstream direction) of the river below the Ansul Fire Protection Company in Marinette, Wisconsin. This problem was caused from improper arsenic storage and disposal practices by Ansul. Other pollutants, such as mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and oil and grease, have also contributed to use impairments. The paint sludge site within Michigan was remediated by Act 307 authority.

Restrictions on Fish & Wildlife Consumption:

Fish consumption advisories and fishing restrictions may vary from state to state. Please consult your state's fishing guide.

Wisconsin's fish consumption advisories include:

Green Bay south of Marinette and its tributaries (except the Lower Fox River) including the Menominee, Oconto, Pestigo Rivers (mouths to first dam):

• Restrict consumption of northern pike, less than 22 inches, to no more than one meal a week and larger than 22 inches to no more than one meal per month.
• Do not eat walleye greater than 26 inches; 17-26 inches, no more than one meal every 2 months; less than 17 inches, no more than one meal per month.
• Do not eat white bass - all sizes.
• Do not eat any size yellow perch more than one meal per week.
• Do not eat carp - all sizes.
• Do not eat any size white perch more than one meal every 2 months.
• Do not eat any size smallmouth bass more than one meal per month.
• Do not eat any size channel catfish more than one meal every 2 months.
• Do not eat any size white sucker more than one meal per month.
• Do not eat any size rainbow trout more than one meal per month.
• Restrict consumption of chinook salmon, less than 30 inches, to no more than one meal per month and larger than 30 inches to no more than one meal every 2 months.
• Do not eat any size whitefish more than one meal every 2 months.
• Do not eat splake larger than 20 inches; 16-20 inches, no more than one meal every 2 months; less than 16 inches, no more than one meal per month.
• Do not eat brown trout larger than 28 inches; 17-28 inches, no more than one meal every 2 months; less than 17 inches, no more than one meal per month.
• Do not eat any sturgeon - all sizes.

Menominee River below first dam. Advisories include:

• Banning consumption of carp, white bass, sturgeon, and white perch for all persons.
• Banning consumption of whitefish for women and children. Whitefish consumption is also banned for the general population when over 14 inches, and below 14 inches is limited to one meal per week.
• Banning consumption of walleye greater than 26 inches for all persons. There are additional consumption advisories for walleye below 26 inches.
• Banning consumption of splake greater than 18 inches for all persons. There are additional consumption advisories for splake below 18 inches.
• Banning consumption of brown trout greater than 18 inches for all persons. There are additional consumption restrictions for brown trout below 18 inches.
• Channel catfish, lake trout, longnose sucker, and smallmouth bass have consumption restrictions for all persons. They are size-dependant.
• There is also a consumption restriction for women and children on burbot, chinook salmon, northern pike, rainbow trout (including steelhead), white sucker, and yellow perch.

Menominee River below Quinnesec, Dickinson County. Advisories include:

• Consumption restrictions on carp, redhorse sucker, sturgeon, and walleye for all persons. These restrictions are size-dependent.
• White sucker consumption (all sizes) restriction for women and children, limited to one meal per week.

Since fish advisories change year to year, the Wisconsin DNR Fish Advisories should be consulted for restrictions and advisories. Be sure to check for general inland lake mercury advisories.

Michigan's fish consumption advisories include:

• Green Bay (south of the Cedar River. Applies to Michigan waters including: Menominee and Cedar Rivers below first dam. See also Lake Michigan--North of Frankfort.)
• Menominee River (below Quinnesec, Dickinson County).
• Michigamme River system (including Lake Michigamme, Michigamme Reservoir, Peavy Pond, and Paint River Pond).
• Net River (Iron County).
• Lake Michigan north of Frankfort.

Since fish advisories change year to year, the Michigan Fish Advisory guide (published annually) should be consulted for restrictions and advisories. Be sure to check for general inland lake mercury advisories.

GLIN: Fish Consumption Advisories; Wildlife;
Toxic Contaminants

There is localized degradation of fish populations from arsenic contamination. There have been reports of birth defects and reproductive problems in fish-eating species (migratory waterfowl) from bio accumulating pollutants such as Mercury and PCBs, but recent surveys within the AOC have shown contaminant levels in wildlife below levels of concern.

GLIN: Fish; Wildlife

Degradation of benthos has been identified primarily due to arsenic-contaminated sediments, and also based on some historical data showing impairment in the lower segment of the river. More data are needed, however, to better assess the current status of the benthic population and substrate in the turning basin and other depositional zones.

The turning basin cannot be dredged or used for large vessel navigation due to arsenic contamination of river sediments. Dredging of the turning basin has not occurred since 1962 due to sediment contamination. Much of the arsenic contaminated sediment in the turning basin would be classified as a hazardous waste if it were removed without first being treated. Maintenance dredging of the shipping (main) channel to its current depth of 21 feet and the entrance channel to its depth of 23 feet last occurred during the summer of 1991 and is expected to take place again in 1998. Dredged materials were disposed of in the Michigan waters of Green Bay about three miles north of the AOC.

GLIN: Dredging

GLIN: Beaches; Recreation

GLIN: Habitat; Wildlife

RAP Status

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has worked with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to develop and implement the RAP. The multi-stakeholder Citizens' Advisory Committee (CAC) and a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) have been instrumental in the development of the RAP by mobilizing public support, increasing awareness, and conducting data and problem analysis. A vision statement for the desired future state of the Lower Menominee River was developed by the CAC and used as guidance in the preparation of RAP goals and objectives that were developed jointly by the CAC and TAC.

• The US Environmental Protection Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are working with Ansul Fire Protection Company under the RCRA Corrective Action Program to address arsenic contamination in the AOC.
• The Menominee River Area of Concern Remedial Action Plan Update was completed and distributed in February 1996.
• A Remedial Action Plan documenting cleanup and other actions was released by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in February 1991.
• The Stage 1 Report for the Lower Menominee River RAP was completed and submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and International Joint Commission (IJC) in 1991.

Schedule

• CAC (Citizens Advisory Committee) meetings have been scheduled and held on an as-needed basis.

Progress and Achievements

• 1996: The Remedial Action Plan was updated; published by the WDNR.
• 1995: Paint sludge removal operations along Green Bay resulted in the excavation of more than 10 million pounds of hazardous waste from the bay. An additional 20 million pounds of contaminated sediments were removed during this effort, which was part of an enforcement order issued to the Lloyd Flanders Furniture Company in Menominee.
• 1991: The Stage 1 RAP Report was completed and submitted to the IJC for review.
• 1988: The Menominee River CAC and TAC were established.

A significant amount of progress has occurred since the RAP process began in 1988. Agreements and programs among government agencies, municipal authorities, and industry have been created to address the use impairments. Presented below is a summary of actions and accomplishments:

• Ansul, Inc. is removing arsenic contaminated sediments and soil from the river and shore areas in Marinette under a RCRA order.
• CSO (Menominee) and wet weather bypassing (Marinette) have been corrected under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit process.
• The paint sludge site was cleaned up with Michigan's Act 307 authority.
• A navigational dredging project was conducted by the city of Menominee to allow for oceangoing vessels to access the lower part of the Menominee River. Completed in summer 1998, the dredging project partially restored navigation, one of the impaired beneficial uses listed for the AOC. The dredged material was disposed of upland.
• The City of Menominee is conducting sewer renovations and had applied for a loan to fund construction of the final combined sewer overflow elimination project. Construction work is now completed.
• Remediation work on the contaminated paint sludge site located on Lake Michigan just north of the river has been completed. MDNR issued a unilateral order under Act 307 to Flanders Industries (1992) for remedial work at the site that included cleanup of the shoreline, construction of a dike (1993), and excavation of 15 tons of paint sludge from Lake Michigan (1995). Analysis of sampling conducted in 1997 was to be used to determine if ecological problems still existed at the site. If the area was free of problems, the dike was to be dismantled and the site restored in 1997/1998.
• The Menominee River was sampled in 1993-1995 as part of the tributary monitoring portion of the Lake Michigan Mass Balance Modeling project. Results are available for the organic pollutants and metals that were part of he mass balance sampling effort.
• A follow-up survey of sediment toxicity was conducted in the Eight Street slip by WDNR in 1993 and revealed similar results to the 1989 testing (complete mortality of the aquatic test organisms Daphnia magna and significant reductions in growth and weight of the Chironomus tentans). Extremely high concentrations of arsenic were detected in samples of both assessments.
• The City of Marinette purchased land in 1992 along the riverfront near the mouth and along Green Bay as a first step in a cooperative effort with WDNR to install a 1,000 meter recreational walkway along the waterfront from the Menekaunee Bridge to Red Arrow Park. In 1993, the city received a grant from WDNR and a Coastal Management grant to proceed with the development of the scenic walkway. The walkway was completed and provides an environmentally friendly recreational facility for public enjoyment.
• The bulkhead line designation along the river on the Wisconsin side from Sixth Street to the Menekaunee Bridge was removed, allowing this section of the river to remain natural and preventing any more land along the river's edge from being bulkheaded.
• The City of Menominee is in compliance with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit combined sewer overflow (CSO) separation schedule, and with the 1990 Consent Agreement with the U.S. EPA for corrective action on its CSO/wet weather discharges at outfall #8 was eliminated in 1992. After securing a significant portion of construction funding for the largest CSO (Outfall #2) from the State of Michigan Revolving Loan Fund, construction was initiated. The separation project was completed in 1993 and as been closely monitored to determine the effectiveness of the separation.
• The purge well system installed at the Menominee City Landfill in 1991 has been connected to the sewer system. The contaminated groundwater is being treated at the Menominee Wastewater Treatment Plant. A silty sand cap was installed and seeded with grass at the landfill in 1992. Preliminary reports indicate that contaminants have been contained on site.
• Marinette's wastewater collection and treatment system was expanded to handle a wet weather flow of 68 million liters (18 million gallons) of wastewater effluent per day.
• The City of Marinette developed and implemented an industrial pretreatment program to reduce disruptions of wastewater treatment plant operations caused by industrial discharges.
• High concentration of PAHs, typically found in coal tar waste, had been detected in river sediments adjacent to the Marinette wastewater treatment plant as well as in on-site soils and groundwater. The site, a gas manufacturing plant until 1962, is under investigation with a potentially responsible party to determine the extent of contamination and to assess remediation alternatives.
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed a maintenance dredging operation at the mouth of the Menominee River during the summer of 1991. The project removed 17,500 m³ of material from the main channel below the turning basin and restored channel depths to 6.4-7.0 m. Laboratory analyses indicated that some of these sediments contained elevated levels of arsenic.

Priorities/Outlook

Remediation

• Remediation of arsenic contaminated soils and sediments on the Wisconsin side of the river. Ansul, Inc. finished the first stage of remediation for the arsenic in 2000. Further work will be needed to restore the site.
• Remediation of paint sludge deposits in Lake Michigan above the mouth of the river in Michigan.
• Ongoing assesssments of contaminated soils and sediments.

Habitat/Resource Management

• Fish population and habitat restoration.
• Local waterfront redevelopment projects.

Pollution Prevention/Nonpoint Source

• Elimination of CSOs in both Michigan and Wisconsin

Research

• A benthic survey was conducted by WDNR in 1993. Three artificial substrate samplers were placed at six locations, including the south channel, for five weeks. Dissolved oxygen (DO) was monitored for one week in May as part of the study and ranged from 5 mg/L to over 10 mg/L, concentrations well within the DO standard for a warmwater stream. Sediment samples were also collected at five of the six locations. The benthic survey data has been available since 1994.
• Fish were collected from the impounded area of the river between the two Scott Paper dams and below the second dam for tissue analysis as a requirement of the Wisconsin and Michigan fish contaminant monitoring program. Fish flesh is analyzed at fixed locations for trend analysis every three to five years. Results, beginning with 1994, are available.
• A caged fish study (channel cat) for a variety of contaminants was conducted in the river mouth between the interstate and Menekaunee Bridges from June 1-July 30, 1993 as part of the Lake Michigan Lakewide Management Plan effort. Results were issued in 1994.

Publications

• 1996: Lower Menominee River Remedial Action Plan Update, WDNR.
• 1991: Menominee River Remedial Action Plan, MDEQ.

Community Involvement

A primary goal of the Lower Menominee River RAP is and has been to include and encourage public participation in RAP development and implementation. Public participation has focused on:

• Community Recognition
• Public Meetings
• RAP Advisory Committees
• Education and Outreach
• Community Cleanup Days
• School Presentations
• Stakeholder Survey

As part of the RAP process, WDNR and MDEQ formed a RAP Citizen's Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC included area residents, local government officials, educators, recreation specialists, environmentalists, and business and industry representatives from the Marinette, Wisconsin and Menominee, Michigan area. Also included were CAC community education and outreach activities were also begun and will continue throughout the RAP process.

Partners

• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (lead agency)
• Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
• Lake Michigan Forum
• Menominee River CAC
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Contacts

Terry Lohr, RAP Coordinator
WDNR, Bureau of Watershed Management
101 South Webster Street
P.O. Box 10448
Madison, WI 53707-7921
PH: 608-267-2375
lohrt@dnr.state.wi.us

Sharon Baker
MDEQ Surface Water Quality Division
P.O. Box 30273
Lansing, MI 30273
PH: 517-335-3310
FAX: 517-373-2040
BAKERSL@michigan.gov

Laura Evans
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5
77 W. Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
PH: 312-886-0851
evans.laura@epa.gov

Compiled: July 23, 2001
by John Hummer, jhummer@glc.org

Created: March 16, 1999
Revised: June 23, 2000
Maintained by Pranas Pranckevicius
URL: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/lowmeno/