GEI to provide engineering and design services for Saving Buffalo Reef Project

Type III Landfill to store historic stamp sands and prevent irreparable damage to critical fish spawning grounds in Lake Superior.

Lansing, MI, May 13, 2025 – The State of Michigan’s Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) and Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has selected GEI Consultants to provide engineering and design services for the siting, design, and permitting for the Saving Buffalo Reef Stamp Sand Storage Facility. The project requires Type III Landfill to store stamp sands that may be excavated or dredged from Buffalo Reef and Grand Traverse Bay in Lake Superior, on the eastern side of the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Stamp sands are byproducts of early 20^th century copper ore milling. These sands have spread across approximately 1,426 acres of Lake Superior’s shoreline and lakebed, posing a significant environmental hazard to local ecosystems. Buffalo Reef is under threat from migrating stamp sands, which are degrading critical Lake Trout and Whitefish spawning habitats.

“GEI’s project team brings unparalleled experience in permitting Type III Landfills in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,” says John Trast, GEI’s Senior Waste Management Leader.

GEI’s team of engineers, geologists and scientists will provide siting evaluations, landfill design, permitting, and construction documents for the new landfill. An estimated 14 million cubic yards of stamp sands have migrated along Lake Superior’s shoreline over the last one hundred years, which will require a nearly 100-acre storage facility.

“We are not just technically qualified to support the Saving Buffalo Reef Project; we are personally committed to Michigan’s long-term environmental and economic well-being,” says John.

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About GEI: GEI Consultants, Inc. is a consulting engineering firm that delivers professional services that improve our world’s-built environment. With more than 1,500 staff and 59 offices in North America, GEI is a leader in providing multi-disciplined engineering and environmental services to a range of private and public sector clients, both domestically and abroad.

As a member of the employee-owned GISI family of companies, we foster personal relationships with our clients and support our staff in a partnership model, which is underpinned by continuous learning and sharing of knowledge. We retain proven, recognized experts and attract the best minds to deliver to our clients a refreshing blend of technical expertise, collaborative spirit, and innovation that is rare in our profession. We engineer solutions in five primary end markets: Water Resources, Energy, Buildings, Infrastructure, and Industrial. For more information on GEI, please visit www.geiconsultants.com.www.geiconsultants.com.