Red Cliff Tribe To Continue Raising Munition Barrels From Lake Superior

The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is continuing efforts to raise barrels filled with army munitions from Lake Superior.

The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has raised 25 of 1,437 barrels dumped into Lake Superior by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1959 to 1962. Red Cliff Project Manager Gary Defoe, Jr. said the tribe is seeking to raise around 40 more barrels.

Defoe said they want to study the cluster bomb detonators found in 22 of the barrels raised further. He said he’s concerned that the barrels may be polluting the Duluth water intake.

“There’s a big fishing industry up around here, so we’d just like to do more,” said Defoe.

Defoe said the tribe is in the process of seeking funding from the Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program.The tribe has received around $3.7 million from the program to date.

Red Cliff has hired contractor Ridolfi Environmental to compile an investigative report on data that’s been collected. Defoe expects that report to be released in early 2015.

“Then, they will follow through with the summary report,” said Defoe. “The summary report will take all this data we’ve compiled over these past years. This will summarize everything that has been done, possibly what needs to be done and where we go from here.”

Defoe said the investigative report will be available in early 2015 with a summary report due out in May next year.