Erie Pier Dredged Material Management Facility - Wastewater Permit

We invite you to comment on the draft wastewater permit for the Erie Pier Dredged Material Management Facility.

The Erie Pier Dredged Material Management Facility, owned and managed by the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, is a 120-acre site for dredge material placement in Duluth. Operable since 1979, the facility is operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) under Public Law 91-611, otherwise known as Section 123 of the 1970 River and Harbor Act, which authorizes the USACE to construct, operate, and maintain confined placement areas for dredged material in the Great Lakes region.

The facility receives dredged material from the federal navigable channel of the Duluth/Superior Harbor, which includes portions of the St. Louis Bay and St. Louis River. Dredged material is temporarily stored and dewatered on-site before being distributed to a variety of beneficial reuse sites.

Wastewater from industrial and commercial sources may contain pollutants at levels that could adversely affect the water quality in area wetlands, streams, rivers, and lakes. Water quality permits - or National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits - establish specific limits and requirements to protect Minnesota's surface and groundwater quality. All wastewater must be treated before it goes into surface water to protect human health and aquatic life. Permits are regularly reviewed and updated as they expire, allowing the MPCA to incorporate new information about the impacts of pollutants on the environment in future permits.