DNR To Host Public Meeting On Dredging Materials In The Milwaukee Estuary Area Of Concern

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host a public meeting to discuss the disposal of dredged material from the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern.  

The public meeting will occur at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, 2021, in Room 104 at the Port Milwaukee offices located at 2323 S. Lincoln Memorial Drive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The meeting will also be available virtually via Zoom video conferencing or by dialing in to 312-626-6799 and entering the meeting ID number 890 3754 7676.

Participants are strongly encouraged to attend virtually over in-person attendance due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 28, 2021, the DNR received a request from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) to approve a low hazard grant of exemption to dispose of materials dredged from the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern (AOC). The Milwaukee Estuary AOC includes portions of the Milwaukee Inner and Outer Harbors, nearshore Lake Michigan and nearby river channels (Milwaukee, Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers) discharging to Lake Michigan.

The dredged materials are proposed to be placed in the Milwaukee Estuary Dredged Material Management Facility (DMMF). The proposed location to place the dredging materials is within the boundaries of the Port Milwaukee Lakebed Grant.

The purpose of the meeting is to solicit public comment and answer questions on the proposal. There will be a brief introduction and explanation of the project by DNR and MMSD representatives. The DNR will consider all public comments in its decision on the proposal.

DNR staff will share information using a PowerPoint presentation during this meeting. The call-in number will allow attendees to listen to a presentation regarding the proposed facility, ask questions and provide comments. However, to view the presentation, the DNR recommends attending using a computer via Zoom video conferencing.

Reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, will be provided for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Please contact Gerald DeMers, DNR Waste Management Engineer, at 262-226-0552 or Gerald.DeMers@wisconsin.gov, for questions or specified information on your request at least five days before the date of the scheduled hearing.

More information about the Milwaukee Estuary AOC is available on the DNR website.