Members of the St. Mary’s River Bi-National Public Advisory Council discussed an assessment related to an aesthetics beneficial use impairment designation. The study involves three spots within the river on the Michigan side, looking at eight physical properties, such as solids, colours and oil sheens, resulting in very little that contributed to asethetic impairment. John Riley is an Environmental Analyst with the Michigan DEQ. He says during the eight month study there were conditions that he was expecting like rainfall that would have affected the river’s aesthetics, but that hasn’t happened with the dry winter and spring. Water samples were taken from Ashmun Bay, from behind the Elks Club building and the area of Sugar Island Township Beach. The study was done to help determine if the Michigan side of the St. Mary’s River Area of Concern should lose its BUI designation. There were concerns from council members about objects still being discovered in some areas of the river. Riley agreed that this was a fair comment, adding Riley adds that more areas could have been sampled and more information may have determined if that part of the river would no longer have a BUI designation. As for the question of if there is another study in the future, Riley says that will be up to BPAC to decide — the group felt more time was needed before any decision is made on this subject.

Recent geotechnical work done on the St. Mary’s River was discussed at Tuesday’s BPAC meeting. In order to collect some of the sediment cores in this study, drilling was done between 4 and 8.5 metres deep below the water, revealing a silt thickness of between 2 and 5.5 metres thick. It was revealed that there were some challenges in getting more concrete results because of the silty fine material that makes up the soil at the bottom. Part of the conclusion included a suggestion that a smaller steel core or different technology be used in the next assessment. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has a new Areas of Concern co-ordinator. Bretton Joldersma was introduced at Tuesday’s BPAC meeting — he’s been on the job for the last month. He had been working at the DEQ’s southeastern region office near Detroit for the last few years. Joldersma fills a job that had been vacant since last October. He will specifically be dealing with the St. Mary’s River and Saginaw River/Bay areas of concern.

City Police have released their RIDE check numbers from this past Saturday. 249 vehicles were stopped and two roadside screening tests were performed — no suspensions were issued as both drivers passed.

The following is an update from Fire Chief Medve regarding the Huron Shores Fire Ban:

Effective Tuesday, July 31st, the Huron Shores Fire Department HAS LIFTED the MUNICIPAL FIRE BAN originally imposed July 5th, 2012. Please call the Municipal Office at 705-843-2033 to renew your open air burning permit or drop by in person (bring your permit with you) to 7 Bridge Street, Iron Bridge. In order to renew your permit, you MUST be able to quote the permit number and the responding fire station. Open Air Burning Permits are issued EITHER from the Municipal Office during regular office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; OR at the Fire Station #1 Office, at 69 Little Rapids Rd., in Little Rapids, on Thursday mornings between 10:00 a.m. and Noon only. The Huron Shores Fire Department reminds everyone that NO DAYTIME BURNING IS PERMITTED and to abide by the conditions listed on your permit.

The Township of MacDonald, Meredith & Aberdeen Aditional and the Townships of Laird and Plummer Additional have all announced that their open fire ban has been lifted today. But all continue to stress the need for extreme care with any open fires.

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The battle over access to crown lands resumed in a Geraldton court room last week – where a Wisconsin man was fined $1500 after pleading guilty to driving a motorized vehicle on a restricted road. He was cited by a MNR conservation officer who noticed vehicle tracks on the Marshall Lake access road northwest of Nakina last month. Bradley Slagel of Ridgeland, Wisconsin owns a resort near Nakina and had driven two clients on the road to the remote outpost camp. The clients were ticketed as well.

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City police news release…

July 30-31 news

A 30 year old male was arrested and charged with 3 counts of sexual assault, theft under $5000 and breach of an undertaking. The assaults resulted from incidents on 3 different occasions beginning in the middle of July 2012. The accused also stole a bottle of Vodka from the victim earlier this month. The accused person was on an undertaking to abstain from the consumption of alcohol which was breached on Monday when the investigating officers noted alcohol on the accused’s breath. The accused will appear in bail court this morning.

24 year old Anthony Ramkay of Desbarats was arrested and charged on the 30th of July with Possession of a Controlled Substance for the purpose of Trafficking. Ramkay was also on probation and breached 2 conditions of his probation by possessing marihuana and failing to keep the peace and being of good behaviour. Mr. Ramkay will also appear in bail court this morning.

18 year old Zach Falldien of Manitou Drive was arrested at approximately 12:45 am today and charged with Impaired Driving and Over 80mg. It is alleged that Mr. Falldien was involved in a single motor vehicle collision prior to his arrest in which the motor vehicle sustained a moderate amount of damage. The accident occurred in the area of Hillside Drive and Peoples Road. No injuries were reported. A September court date has been set.

A stretch of Highway 556 was closed near Searchmont after a single vehicle accident happened on Monday afternoon around 4:00 p.m. The section 10 kilometres west of Ranger Lake Road re-opened to traffic just before 6:00 p.m. There were no details of any injuries and there was no detour to get around the accident scene.

The Canada-Ontario Invasive Species Centre will officially open its doors on Tuesday. Federal government representatives will be on hand for the event inside the Great Lakes Forestry Centre at 11:00 a.m., along with Sault MPP David Orazietti. The facility at the Great Lakes Forestry Centre was established in April 2011. Centre staff have worked with partners to advance more than 60 scientific research and strategic project initiatives, aimed at informing policy and program development in combating the threats of invasive species.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is having a meeting on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Lake State’s Cisler Center. The information meeting will focus on the Tributaries E.coli Total Maximum Daily Load — or TMDL — in a number of tributaries, including those in the Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan area. Goals of the meeting include providing related data, identifying problems and developing any solutions towards restoration of the affected tributaries. E. coli is a pathogenic organism and when there are elevated levels in the water, it impairs any recreational use of the water and poses health risks to humans if the contaminated water is ingested.