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Torch Lake troubles

Hubbell portion of cleanup continues

By Chelsea Bossert 2 min read
Chelsea Bossert/Daily Mining Gazette Heavy machinery on a barge goes to work on the north end of Torch Lake near Lake Linden Park. 

LAKE LINDEN -- The fences around the eastern portion of Lake Linden Park will be up through October as crews from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Honeywell and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) continue working to remove approximately 14,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in the water.

Torch Lake Area of Concern Coordinator for EGLE, Stephanie Swart, said dangerous metals and contaminants are being dredged and removed. It's a long-term project expected to run through 2030. "Folks that live up there have seen the fencing all around the beach right now, but they are removing roughly 14,000 cubic yards of sediment that has been contaminated with lead, arsenic, zinc and PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls)," Swart said.

She said the official timeline between two sites, Lake Linden and Hubbell, is between five to eight years. "It [the sediment] does not affect people directly since most of it is pretty deep. However, since there are PCBs in the contaminated sediments, they are impacting fish."

According to the EPA, eating fish contaminated with PCBs may cause problems with the liver. It can also affect the children of pregnant women and lead to cancer. Lead, zinc and arsenic in sediment have adverse health impacts as well, like kidney, bone and nervous system problems.

These dangerous contaminates are in Torch Lake due to mine tailings entering the water over the course of the history of the area's materials processing. Among the contaminants listed by EGLE, the EPA identified copper as another point of concern, according to its website.

According to Swart, EGLE and its partners are still in the planning stage of the Hubbell portion of the cleanup. "We're still in feasibility, so we're determining the best option for cleanup here," she said. Due to this, crews may not be present in the Hubbell area of concern for a while.

The EPA was reached for comment but did not respond on the progress of the cleanup as of press time.

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