AquaGate+PAC Material Selected to Address Contaminated Sediment in Detroit River Project
The AquaGate+PAC material utilizes powder activated carbon (PAC) to limit the migration of residual contamination from sediments, to improve water quality in the river.
SWANTON, Ohio, July 23, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $2.9 million agreement to remediate contaminated sediment along the Detroit River in Detroit, Michigan to be funded through a Great Lakes Legacy Act cost-sharing partnership with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.
The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy stated that the project will not only address contaminated sediment, but also stabilize an aging seawall to provide geophysical support for the further expansion of the popular Detroit Riverwalk.
The contaminated sediment is within the Detroit River Area of Concern (AOC), identified by the United States and Canada as one of 43 toxic hotspots in the Great Lakes basin. The project will remediate sediments located just downstream of the MacArthur Bridge that leads to Belle Isle. Contaminated sediment will be stabilized and isolated using a "cap" made of AquaGate+PAC blended with clean backfill material. The design will provide an isolation layer more protective than clean capping materials alone.
This project is part of the larger effort to restore and protect the Great Lakes through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). In October 2019, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the GLRI Action Plan III, an aggressive plan that will guide Great Lakes restoration and protection activities by EPA and its many partners over the next 5 years.
The AquaGate+PAC material utilizes powder activated carbon (PAC) to limit the migration of residual contamination from sediments, to improve water quality in the river. The material will be manufactured in Swanton, Ohio and shipped to the project site for placement in the river. A range of AquaBlok and AquaGate products have been used extensively on sediment projects across the U.S. including several other Great Lakes Legacy Act projects.
AquaBlok General manager and COO Mr. John Collins states, "As a Great Lakes based firm, we have a strong interest in utilizing our technology to help improve the protectiveness of sediment remediation in our region."
About AquaBlok, Ltd.
AquaBlok, Ltd. is a manufacturer of composite materials utilizing its patented coating and amendment approach. The company has a long history in the environmental industry and provides a range of products utilized in groundwater treatment and sediment remediation applications. AquaBlok uses its low-permeability bentonite delivery system in a range of geotechnical applications including, industrial impoundment sealing, anti-seep collars (trench dams) around piping, cut-off walls in porous soil conditions, and levee and dam repair or construction.
SOURCE AquaBlok LLC
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