On August 12, 2026, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency along with state and local partners announced more than $37.6 million in funding to support continued restoration and remediation efforts in the Maumee Area of Concern in Northwest Ohio.
The funding will be used to complete three projects in the Maumee and Ottawa rivers. This includes more than $34 million for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority to dredge approximately 121,000 cubic yards of sediment contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other contaminants from a one-mile area along the Lower Maumee River. The dredged sediment will be placed in the Toledo Harbor confined disposal facility. EPA is providing $32.34 million from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for the project while Ohio EPA are providing $1.75 million to cover disposal.
Additionally, there is $2.6 million in funding for the City of Toledo to improve fish habitat in the Ottawa River by constructing floating wetlands, rock shoals, fish shelves, and woody habitat. EPA is also awarding Ohio EPA $1 million to evaluate cleanup options and design a project to address an area of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in the Ottawa River approximately 8 river miles upstream from Lake Erie.
“When we clean up contaminated sediment and rebuild habitat, we don’t just heal a watershed—we unlock opportunity,” said EPA Regional Administrator Anne Vogel. “We’ve already accomplished so much, and it’s vital we continue to deliver for the people of northwest Ohio.”
To learn more, read the full press release on EPA’s website: EPA, State, and Local Partners Announce $37.6 Million Investment to Restore Maumee Area of Concern