Bart Stupak: “This amendment is to allow a harbor to be capped in accordance with an administrative order negotiated between the U.S.…”

“This amendment is to allow a harbor to be capped in accordance with an administrative order negotiated between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers and potentially responsible parties at the Manistique Harbor. EPA has agreed that a hybrid remedy of dredging and capping could be necessary to cap PCB's in the Manistique Harbor. This agreement was just entered into within the last 2 weeks. The dredging which is part of the remedy negotiated here has already begun in the Manistique Harbor. We would like to cap yet this year. In order to cap this year, we would have to change the river level, the depth of the river. It is now 18 feet. We would have to change it to 12.5 feet. We would like to do it this year, before the ice moves in in northern Michigan, by the first of the year. Mr. Chairman, we are scheduled, under the negotiated agreement between all the parties, to begin capping on August the 1st.”