Contaminated Sediment Studies: St. Louis River Area of Concern

The St. Louis River is the second largest tributary to Lake Superior. The lower estuary culminates in the Duluth-Superior Harbor, which is the lasrgest freshwater seaport in North America. In 1987, concerns over environmental quality conditions prompted the designation of the lower St. Louis River as one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). This includes the segment from Cloquet, Minnesota to Lake Superior.

• Map of St. Louis River AOC

Due to sediment contamination, the St. Louis River AOC has several impaired uses, including degradation of bottom-feeding invertebrate communities, increased incidence of fish tumors and other abnormalities, fish consumption advisories, and restrictions on dredging. Some sediment-derived contaminants also appear to be carried by the water column to Lake Superior, the most pristine Great Lake.

• Lake Superior / Duluth-Superior Harbor Toxics Loading Study (1.5 MB)

In 1994, the St. Louis River Remedial Action Plan (RAP) progress report provided a three-phase sediment strategy to reduce impairments associated with sediment contamination. This strategy consisted of:

1. assessment studies to locate sediment hot spots (i.e., areas of elevated contamination),
2. development of hot spot management plans, and
3. implementation of remediation (cleanup) actions.

The MPCA and its collaborators conducted several sediment investigations to implement the RAP sediment strategy. Most of these projects were funded by either the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or its Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO). In addition, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WiDNR), Fond du Lac Band, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE), and others have conducted their own sediment studies in portions of the St. Louis River AOC. The WiDNR completed sediment remediation of the Hog Island Inlet/Newton Creek Site in the outer harbor in 2005. Most of these sediment quality data were included in Phases I through IV of a GIS-based sediment quality database for the St. Louis River AOC.

In recent years, additional effort has been made by the MPCA's Duluth office to develop a sediment quality management plan for the St. Louis River AOC in consultation with stakeholders. In turn, several new sediment investigations have been conducted since 2009, and these data are being integrated into the latest version of the St. Louis River AOC Database (SLRAOC DB). The newest version of the SLRAOC DB, along with summaries and data tools, will be available soon.

For further information about progress in St. Louis River AOC activities, including the new database, contact Diane Desotelle at 218-302-6623.

Final delisting targets were established in December 2008 for nine beneficial use impairments. The draft delisting targets were developed through a stakeholder input process facilitated by the nonprofit St. Louis River Alliance, with final delisting targets established by the MPCA and WiDNR.

Additional resources about contaminated sediments are available from local stakeholders, including the items below:

• The St. Louis River Alliance is a key partner in the RAP process. For more information, visit these resources:
  
  • St. Louis River Area of Concern 2013 Progress Report
  • Lower St. Louis River Habitat Plan and interactive version of the Habitat Plan
• The Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Committee prepared the following documents that include sections related to contaminated sediments and the management of dredged materials:
  • Superior Port Land Use Plan (June 2003)
  • Duluth Port Land Use Plan (October 2005)
  • Erie Pier Confined Disposal Facility Management Plan (2007)
• The Harbor Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) is one of two advisory committees to the Metropolitan Interstate Council. The HTAC meets quarterly and brings together a large group of stakeholders to discuss and formulate recommendations addressing issues relevant to the Duluth-Superior Harbor, such as dredged material management.
• A number of streams drain into the St. Louis River AOC. The city of Duluth, the University of Minnesota - Duluth and their collaborators have assembled a website on Duluth's urban streams. The primary goals of this website are to enhance public understanding of aquatic ecosystems, to describe the influence of land uses in the watershed on these streams, and to illustrate the importance of these streams to both economic and environmental sustainability.
• Information on surface water quality conditions in the St. Louis River AOC can be obtained from the MPCA's Environmental Data Access system.

A list of contaminated sediment projects, either led by the MPCA or by partners, is provided below. For each category, projects are listed from the most recent to the oldest.

Assessment Studies:

• Presence of Selected Chemicals of Emerging Concern in Water and Bottom Sediment from the St. Louis River, St. Louis Bay and and Superior Bay, Minnesota and Wisconsin, 2010 (prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in conjunction with the MPCA and WiDNR)
• St. Louis River AOC Contaminted Sediment Sampling and Characterization Project. This two-phase project was conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through a Partnership Agreement with the MPCA. Funding was provided by the Clean Water Legacy Act. For more information, contact Susan Johnson, 218-302-6601.
  • Phase I — sediment assessment of Superior Bay, Hearding Island, the Coast Guard area, Slip 2, 3 and C, Rice's Point and 21st Avenue Bay (c-rem5-01)
  • Phase II — sediment assessment in the lower St. Louis River from Fond du Lac Dam to Kingsbury Bay (c-rem5-02)
• Great Lakes Legacy Act Site Characterization Project. Two sediment assessment projects were conducted by the contractor for the U.S. EPA’s GLNPO for the MPCA while a third project was conducted by GLNPO’s contractor for the WiDNR.
  • St. Louis Bay sediment assessment project (c-rem5-03) — which concentrated on three focus areas. For more information, contact Susan Johnson, 218-302-6601.
  • Upper St. Louis River sediment assessment project (c-rem5-04) — which concentrated on two focus areas. For more information, contact Susan Johnson, 218-302-6601.
  • Howard’s Bay, WI, sediment assessment project (c-rem5-05) — Appendix B in not included in this report file. For more information, contact Susan Johnson, 218-302-6601.
• Phase IV: GIS-based Sediment Quality Database for the St. Louis River Area of Concern — Wisconsin Focus. This project was conducted in collaboration with the St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. For further information, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293.
  
  • Phase IV Supplement to the Phase II/III Help Sections for Database Users
  • Quick Guide to the Phase IV ArcMap 9.1 Map Documents
  • Phase IV Supplement to the Phase II/III Technical Documentation
  • Pamphlet on Sediment Quality Conditions in the Lower St. Louis River, Minnesota/Wisconsin
  • Phase IV Sediment Quality Report for the St. Louis River Area of Concern
    
    • Report Tables
    • Report Figures 1-8 (file size = 10 MB)
    • Report Figure 9 (file size = 11 MB)
    • Report Figures 10-17 (file size = 7 MB)
  • Phase IV sediment quality databases available at: ftp://files.pca.state.mn.us/pub/sedimentDB/:
  1. 1. Microsoft™ Access ’97 version: STLR_SED_DB_PH4_97.zip
     2. Microsoft™ Access 2000 version (which contains a user-friendly query interface): STLR_SED_DB_PH4_Finalb.zip
     3. Query Manager-compatible database files: PhIV_STLR_SEDB_QM_Final.zip
  • For a copy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s free Query Manager 2.56 software, visit the Watershed Database and Mapping Projects Web page.
  • Phase IV ArcMap 9.1 map documents:
  1. 1. MPCA staff can obtain these GIS files from the Agency X:\drive at: X:\Agency_Files\EAO\Ph_IV_DB_GIS\Final Phase IV GIS Files. Copy the “STLR_GIS Project” subdirectory to the C:drive of your computer.
     2. Stakeholders can obtain a DVD of the GIS files by contacting Judy Crane at 651-757-2293.

• Phase III: GIS-based Sediment Quality Database for the St. Louis River Area of Concern — Minnesota Focus.
  • Phase III Quality Assurance Project Plan (1.4 MB)
  • Phase III Addendum to Phase II Help Section for Database Users
  • Phase III Addendum to Phase II Technical Documentation
  • Phase III Overview of Sediment Quality Conditions for the St. Louis River Area of Concern
  • The Phase III Microsoft^TM Access 2000 sediment quality database and Query Manager-compatible database files have been superceded by the Phase IV work products.

• Comprehensive Sediment Quality Management Plan for the Lower St. Louis River. For more information, contact Diane Desotelle at 218-302-6623.
  
  • Phase II: GIS-based Sediment Quality Database for the St. Louis River Area of Concern. For more information about only this work task, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293.
    • Phase II Quality Assurance Project Plan
    • Phase II Help Section for Database Users
    • Phase II Help Section for ArcView Users
    • Phase II Technical Documentation (1.7 MB)
    • Phase II Mean Probable Effect Concentration Quotient Analyses
    • Phase II Environmental Bulletin Article
    • The Phase II Microsoft^TM Access 2000 sediment quality database and Query Manager-compatible database files, as well as the Phase II ArcView 3.2 projects and ArcMap 8.3 map documents have been superceeded by the Phase IV work products listed below.
  • Historical Pollutant Source Identification
  • Sediment Quality Management Plan

• Phase I: GIS-based Sediment Quality Database for the St. Louis River Area of Concern. For further information, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293.
  
  • Quality Assurance Project Plan (4.1 MB)
  • Response to Review Comments
  • Help Section for Database Users
  • Help Section for ArcView 3.x Users
  • The Phase I Microsoft^TM Access 2000 sediment quality database and accompanying ArcView 3.2 projects have been superceded by the Phase IV work products listed below.
• Analysis of Sediment Cores to Assess Chlorinated Bornanes and Bornenes in the St. Louis River. For further information, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293. 

• Bioaccumulation of Contaminants in the Duluth/Superior Harbor (data analysis in progress). For further information, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293.
  
  • Quality Assurance Project Plan (2.1 MB)
• Development of a Framework for Evaluating Numerical Sediment Quality Targets and Sediment Contamination in the St. Louis River Area of Concern. (672 KB) For further information, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293.
  
  • Report Tables and Figures (1.2 MB)
  • Report Appendices
    • Appendix G
  • The following papers from this project have been published:
    • Crane, J.L. and D.D. MacDonald. 2003. Applications of numerical sediment quality targets for assessing sediment quality conditions in the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Environmental Management 32:128-140.
    • Crane, J.L., D.D. MacDonald, C.G. Ingersoll, D.E. Smorong, R.A. Lindskoog, C.G. Severn, T.A. Berger, and L.J. Field. 2002. Evaluation of numerical sediment quality targets for the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 43:1-10.

• Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (R-EMAP) Surveying, Sampling, and Testing: 1995 and 1996 Sampling Results. For further information, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293.
  
  • The following papers have been published:
    • Crane, J.L., Richards, C., D. Breneman, S. Lozano, and J.A. Schuldt. 2005. Evaluating methods for assessing sediment quality in a Great Lakes embayment. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management 8:323-349.
    • Peterson, G.S., R.P. Axler, K.B. Lodge, J.A. Schuldt, and J.L. Crane. 2002. Evaluation of a fluorometric screening method for predicting total PAH concentrations in contaminated sediments. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 78:111-129.
    • Breneman, D., C. Richards, and S. Lozano. 2000. Environmental influences on benthic community structure in a Great Lakes embayment. Journal of Great Lakes Research 26:287-304.

• Sediment Assessment of Hot Spot Areas in the Duluth/Superior Harbor (7.7 MB). For further information, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293.
• Survey of Sediment Quality in the Duluth/Superior Harbor: 1993 Sampling Results (5.4 MB). For further information, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293.
  
  • Report Appendices
• Preliminary Assessment of Contaminated Sediments and Fish in the Thomson, Forbay, and Fond du Lac Reservoirs (1.5 MB). For further information, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293.
  
  • Report Appendices (24.2 MB)
    
    

Hot Spot Management Plans:

• Minnesota Slip Sediment Investigation and Remedial Evaluation. For more information, contact Susan Johnson at 218-302-6601.
  • Sediment Sampling and Analysis Plan (1.1 MB)
  • Final Report (4 MB)
    • Appendix A
    • Appendix B
    • Appendix C
    • Appendix D
    • Appendix E

• Sediment Remediation Scoping Project for Minnesota Slip, Duluth Harbor. For further information, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293.
  
  • Quality Assurance Project Plan (5.8 MB)
  • Final Report
    • Report Tables
    • Report Figures (14.5 MB)
    • Report Appendices (1.3 MB)

• Sediment Remediation Scoping Project at Slip C in the Duluth Harbor (3.0 MB). For further information, contact Judy Crane at 651-757-2293.

Remediation Projects:

• Interlake/Duluth Tar Superfund Site. For more information, contact Susan Johnson at 218-302-6601.
• U.S. Steel Superfund Site. For more information, contact Susan Johnson at 218-302-6601.
• Minnesota Slip Feasibility Study. For more information, contact Susan Johnson at 218-302-6601.