EPA Announces $22 Million River Cleanup

The Kinnickinnic River will get a $22 million cleanup using funds from the federal government and the state of Wisconsin, officials said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the project calls for the removal of about 170,000 cubic yards of sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) along a a 2,000-foot section of the river on the south side of Milwaukee.

The EPA said $14.3 million will come from the Great Lakes Legacy Act fund.

“The Legacy Act is crucial to the restoration of the national treasure that we have right here on our doorstep — the Great Lakes,” EPA Regional Administrator Lynn Buhl said in a statement. “Once it’s completed, the Kinnickinnic River Legacy Act cleanup will contribute significantly to the ultimate goal of getting the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern off the list of contaminated sites around the Great Lakes.”