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Healthy Pine River group seeks grants and feasibility study to address Mill Pond and river contamination
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Summary
Healthy Pine River presented preliminary water testing and three grant applications — including a $248,000 EGLE environmental justice grant — aimed at funding a pre-engineering feasibility study of the Mill Pond/impoundment, assessing public-health impacts and options for dam management or removal.
At the meeting the Healthy Pine River representative (identified in the transcript as Sandro) briefed the City Commission on preliminary summer water testing and a planned outreach meeting on Sept. 12, and asked the city to support grant applications to study the Mill Pond/impoundment and address public-health and recreation impacts.
Sandro told the commission, "The river is contaminated, heavily contaminated all the way from the headwaters through the 4 counties that it passes through," and said testing covers sites from the headwaters through the city and down the watershed. He described three grant applications: an EGLE environmental-justice impact grant (the transcript cites $248,000), a Justice40 Accelerator application intended to lead to federal funding opportunities, and a Community Change Grant available to qualifying census tracts.
The presentation outlined a proposed pre-engineering feasibility study to evaluate dam safety, sediment quantities (a 2016 study estimated 439,000 cubic yards of sediment), and options including dam removal or channel reconfiguration to protect downstream neighborhoods and the city's park assets adjacent to the impoundment. Sandro emphasized that degraded impoundment conditions have reduced recreational use and raised health concerns; county health signage warns against contact at some river access points.
Commissioners and staff asked technical and property-impact questions: whether dam removal would drastically alter riverfront parcels, how channel redesign could preserve property values, who would be accountable for damages or lost riverfront, and what funding sources exist. Sandro and other presenters said case studies show many communities reshape channels and retain much riparian value; the city has sought updated sediment studies and would coordinate with watershed partners, the county drain commissioner and the state DNR.
Next steps: Sandro said preliminary test results and a memo would be circulated to the city within days and invited commissioners to a Sept. 12 community meeting; staff said they would continue grant coordination and support feasibility analysis work if authorized by future formal action.
