A large mass of toxic sediment at the bottom of Lake Erie could threaten the Cleveland area’s drinking water supply. The mass containing PCBs and other contaminants is creeping toward one of city’s water intake pipes. The city and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency are monitoring the situation. Kevin Niedermier of member station WKSU in Kent reports.
The un-treated material was dredged from the Cuyahoga River’s shipping channel and dumped in the lake before the 19-72 Clean Water Act which banned the practice. Bryan Stubbs is head of the Cleveland Water Alliance which promotes the regional economic benefits of the lake’s water. He says Cleveland’s water intake system can be adjusted to avoid the sediment, and the toxins can be treated, but both are very expensive options. He says better protection of this water source is needed.
“Water and the water industry will be a significant driver. We need to get in front of this and, one, to let people know we have a really redundant, resilient system. But with that being said, any more chemicals, any legacy issue going into that lake is unacceptable.”
The Ohio EPA is fighting the Army Corps of Engineer’s plan to dump newly dredged Cuyahoga River sediment which it says is not toxic into the lake. Opponents dispute the Corps claim, and say the sediment should be put into on-shore containment facilities.