Federal, local officials agree on $450 million deal to clean up Milwaukee waterways

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Federal, state and local officials have agreed to spend about $450 million to dredge contaminated sediment from Milwaukee’s harbor and area rivers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it will devote $275 million from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to the project. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, We Energies, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County Parks will contribute another $170 million. The project calls for removing almost 2 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment from Milwaukee’s harbor and 12 miles of the Milwaukee, Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers.