Duck and Otter Creek (Great Lakes Legacy Act)

AO Bureau

Also Known As

None

Incident Type

Chemical

State

Ohio

Case Status

Restoration

Location

Toledo, Lucas County

Authority

Contaminants of Concern Include

Affected DOI Resources Include

Migratory Birds

Case Description

Manufacturing, refining, and other activities since the 1950’s have resulted in severe contamination of the water and sediments of both Duck and Otter Creeks with a range of hazardous materials, primarily heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Duck and Otter Creeks are two streams within the Maumee Area of Concern (AOC) as defined by the International Joint Commission, established by the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty between the United States and Canada. Duck Creek begins at Collins Park in the City of Toledo and flows in a north to northeasterly direction for approximately four miles before entering the Maumee River at the mouth of the River and Lake Erie. Otter Creek lies to the east of Duck Creek and roughly parallels Duck Creek for approximately 7 miles, entering Lake Erie to the east of the mouth of the Maumee River. Both creeks flow through heavily industrialized and commercialized areas of the Cities of Toledo and Oregon, Ohio. Substantial floodplain and wetland areas still exist adjacent to the creeks. Existing data generated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and others documents the release of a mixture of hazardous substances from chemical manufacturing, refining and other activities since the 1950s that have resulted in severe contamination of the Creeks. Chemicals have also been released from landfills adjacent to the Sites. Water column concentrations of, cadmium, lead, mercury, and selenium in Otter Creek exceed the Ohio Water Quality Standard (Ohio Administrative Code 3745-01) for chronic exposure (Tetra Tech EM Inc 2008). Sediment concentrations in Duck Creek exceed the probable effect/severe effect concentration (PEC and TEC; MacDonald et al. 2000) for arsenic , cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and several PAHs. Otter Creek sediments exceed for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, multiple PAHs, and PCBs. Exposure occurs through direct contact, surface water exposure, particulate movement, and food chain pathways. A preliminary risk assessment completed in 2008 found elevated levels of metals and PAHs in bottom dwelling fish species, the belted kingfisher, and mink (Tetra Tech 2008) 2.5 to 143 times the thresholds for severe effects. Discussions of the need of remedial action were held from early 1990’s though 2020 with a project agreement signed March 2010 between USEPA and an industrial group (Duck and Otter Creeks Partnership) which included BP, Sunoco, Chevron, Pilkington North America, Envirosafe, Buckeye Pipeline, CSX Railroad, and First Energy. In 2019, the Partnership dissolved with BP, Chevron, Sunoco, and Pilkington North America remaining as the Otter Group. Pilkington later withdrew from the Otter group. A final remedial design was approved in September 2020 by USEPA. Remedial activities began in November 2020 and were completed in September 2021. 50,400 cubic yards of contaminated sediment has been hydraulically removed from within Otter Creek and specific areas within the Maumee Bay confluence area
 

No publications have been entered for this case.

Map View

Case Contact

Ohio Ecological Services Field Office

Columbus, OH | (614) 416-8993 | http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Ohio/

Associated Restoration Projects

Case Trustees

AO Bureau

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