The US Army Corps of Engineers is fighting to dump sediment from the Cuyahoga River directly into Lake Erie, but the Port of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio leaders say 'not in our lake.'"
The corps believes the sediment is clean enough to dump directly into the lake, but the Port of Cleveland, federal, state and city leaders all believe the sediment will have a critical impact on the environment and the quality of fish from the lake.
The port explained every year the Cuyahoga River has to be dredged to increase its depth to open it back up in the Spring to allow shipping.
The port said dumping directly into Lake Erie has been going on for more than 50 years, and the State of Ohio has filed a lawsuit to stop the corps from doing it once again.
A lake Erie environmental battle between northeast Ohio leaders and the Army Corps of Engineers
Posted by Investigator Joe Pagonakis on Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Last year the port and Northeast Ohio leaders stopped the direct dumping of sediment into Lake Erie by getting a ruling from federal Judge Donald C. Nugent.
newsnet5.com has been seeking a statement from the US Army Corps of Engineers about the issue, but so far no calls have been returned.
The corps maintains its tests on the sediment show it's safe enough to dump into the lake.
The Port of Cleveland said it will seek another ruling by Judge Nugent in the Spring.
