DETROIT (WXYZ) — Thursday, on Detroit's Belle Isle, the state of Michigan announced an $89 million investment in the Kalamazoo and Detroit rivers.
EGLE Director Phil Roos said, “We all know that these rivers have been affected by a legacy of industrial contamination and in some cases goes back over a hundred years.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, "Our state is defined by water, and it's up to us to protect it. All of it. From our Great Lakes to our local rivers."
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The state said of the $89 million, $50 million will go towards cleaning PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in the Detroit River, $25 million to restore the Kalamazoo River, and $14 million for restoration projects statewide.
Whitmer said the funds are to be used for sediment cleanup, restoration of fish and wildlife habitats, and for expanding boating access.
Roos said, “There’s an investigation phase where they have to figure out the right strategy for picking up the sediment and addressing and the plan for removing it.”
He said that’s the first stage and shared examples of sites that could be a part of the cleanup program.
"Harbortown is one (and) down closer to the Rouge, and there's three or four others," Roos explained.
He said the $89 million will be spent making improvements over the next 15 years.
Detroiter and volunteer with the Detroit riverfront conservancy, Esperanza Smith said, “When I think of just what the Detroit River used to look like and where it is today -- the past, present, and future continuing to connect us all -- I am filled with hope and excitement. That's why today's announcement is so important. It's an investment to our future.”
EGLE said the work begins right away.
