MPCA seeking public comment on St. Louis Bay aquatic habitat restoration project

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is now accepting public comments on an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for its aquatic habitat restoration project in Duluth, Minnesota, which would impact roughly 350 acres in the 21st Avenue West channel of St. Louis Bay.

The project falls under the St. Louis River Area of Concern, which is impaired due to past alterations and contamination. Along with 43 other areas in the Great Lakes Basin, the St. Louis River cannot properly support aquatic life. The habitat restoration project would remove impairments, creating a more hospitable situation for fish and wildlife.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which already dredges the navigable channels each year, will undertake the construction aspects of the project. The corps will use dredged materials to create ideal water depths and flow conditions, in addition to softening the shorelines and creating shoals or islands to prevent excessive wave action.

The EAW details the site’s location, nearby resources, existing areas with contamination, sensitive ecological resources, air and noise emissions and other factors. State agencies will use it to determine if an Environmental Impact Statement -- a more in-depth report -- is necessary.