Spirit Lake Great Lakes Legacy Act Cleanup

On this page:

Cleanup Status
Background
Documents
Photos

Cleanup Complete

In July 2024, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the completion of a four-year, $186 million sediment cleanup and habitat restoration project at Spirit Lake near Duluth, Minnesota. EPA contributed $92 million to the project, including funding provided through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in a cost-sharing partnership with U.S. Steel.

The completion of this work allowed for construction of a new two-mile-long waterfront trail.

Project Success

Trails Are Open

View of the pedestrian trail with native plant restoration.

Native plants are still establishing. Read the signs to protect the work.

Cleanup and Restoration

1.3 million cubic yards of impacted material was remediated.
460,000 cubic yards of sediment/soil were dredged and placed into two newly built disposal facilities at the site.
Protective caps were placed over 96 acres of aquatic habitat.
Extensive restoration and habitat enhancement, including the creation of a new 14-acre shallow sheltered bay for fish spawning habitat.

Recreational Features

New two mile-long waterfront trail
Trail pause points
Fishing stones
Kayak launch

Background

EPA and the United States Steel Corporation entered into a partnership to clean up impacted sediment and soil within the Spirit Lake area of the St. Louis River in Duluth, Minnesota.

The Spirit Lake site is located south of the Morgan Park neighborhood in Duluth, within the St. Louis River Area of Concern. The purpose of the project was to address chemicals in the sediment, primarily polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, and heavy metals including lead, copper and zinc. Work began in 2020 and continued throughout 2023. In total, 1.3 million cubic yards of impacted material was remediated. 460,000 cubic yards of sediment were dredged and placed into two newly built disposal facilities at the site. Protective caps were also placed over 96 acres of aquatic habitat. The project resulted in extensive restoration and habitat enhancement, including the creation of a new 14-acre shallow sheltered bay for fish spawning habitat.

This project is part of the larger effort to restore an delist the St. Louis River as a Great Lakes area of concern. EPA managed the Spirit Lake cleanup under the Great Lakes Legacy Act, a voluntary cleanup program funded by the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. As the non-federal sponsor, U.S. Steel provided project management, technical expertise, and covered the remainder of project costs.