USA: Tribe Announces Public Meeting on Grasse River ROD

The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe announces the upcoming public meeting regarding the Grasse River Record of Decision (ROD).

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) will host the meeting on May 7, 2013 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Saint Regis Mohawk School. The purpose of the meeting is for the USEPA to officially present the remedy selected for remediating the 7.2 mile Grasse River Superfund site.

The USEPA went ahead with their selected proposal announced in October of 2013.

The remedy states that:

– contaminated sediment with a concentration of greater than 1 part per million (ppm) along the near shore (depth of five feet or less) will be dredged and then backfilled with clean sediment;

– no dredging will occur in the main channel (depth greater than five feet);

– an armored cap will be utilized to combat ice scouring forces in the first 2.1 miles of site (starting from the Power Canal by Alcoa West) to isolate sediment with a concentration greater than 1 ppm in the main channel

– a clean sediment cap will be employed for the remainder of the main channel (5.1 miles) to isolate sediments with a concentration greater than 1 ppm.

After much discussion with the USEPA and outright opposition from the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council and Environment Division, the USEPA chose this remedy. The SRMT criticized that the remedy lacked permanence and sufficient protection. Dredging of the main channel and near shore before capping was deemed to be the only reliable protective method.

[mappress]

Press Release, May 2, 2013