The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is awarding a $1 million Brownfield Redevelopment Grant to a project that will improve the Port of Monroe, allowing it to take in more cargo and be better prepared for emergencies.
The port opened in 1940 and expanded operations over time. It is currently lacking infrastructure needed to handle international containerized cargo.
The current $16 million redevelopment plan calls for three major improvements:
The second wharf and the turning basin improvements will require dredging , which is where the EGLE grant comes into play.
Sediment is contaminated with metals left over from more than 100 years of heavy industrial activity along the River Raisin. Grant money will be used to help cover the cost of properly transporting and disposing of contaminated sediment.
Additional project funding is coming from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the State of Michigan, and the Monroe County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.