Historic Ferry To No Longer Dump Coal Ash In Sail Lake Michigan

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says a passenger ship that travels from Manitowoc to Western Michigan has stopped dumping coal ash into Lake Michigan.

The federal agency says the S.S. Badger has installed collection bins for the ash generated by the ship’s boilers. EPA Midwest Administrator Susan Hedman said the ash will be used on land.

“When the ship returns to shore, the coal ash will be collected, and it will be sold to a cement manufacturer and used as a constituent in cemente products. That is an acceptable, and is in fact a preferable outcome — to be able to re-use the material,” said Hedman.

Hedman says EPA inspectors will monitor the Badger, to make sure the equipment is working correctly. The Environmental Law and Policy Center is one of the green groups that have been pushing for the change. The center calls it a victory for Great Lakes protection.