There were industries from meatpacking to lumber to brickmaking and metal shops...
Pipelines and everything came through this area. Also the municipalities developed their sewers going directly into the river.
There was domestic contamination from human origin to organic stuff from the petroleum industry and steelmaking.

The river was the disposal point.

- Jim Smith, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, 2013 interview with NPR

Site History

The Grand Calumet River has long been recognized as one of the most contaminated rivers in the nation. With a history rich in steelmaking, meatpacking, and oil refining, a cocktail of heavy metals, PCBs, PAHs, NAPL, and oil and grease was discharged into the river before modern environmental controls were established. Water quality is still challenged by pollution from combined sewer overflows, non-point sources, and industrial discharges, but the sources responsible for sediment contamination are mostly a thing of the past. And concerted efforts to clean up the river are making it closer than ever to becoming safe for people, fish, and wildlife to use and enjoy.

​Since 2009, more than 2 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment have been dredged or capped in the 13-mile Grand Calumet River system under the Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA). Acres of wetland have been restored with native trees, grasses, and other plants, providing food and shelter to local fish and wildlife.

​The East Chicago Waterways  of the Grand Calumet River has completed 70% design, and is ready for design completion and cleanup once partners come forward to provide the cost-match required under the GLLA. 

Location

The East Chicago Waterways 70% design project is #4. ​It includes the Grand Calumet River Junction Reach and part of the Indiana Harbor Canal, both of which are located in East Chicago, IN.  East Chicago Waterways is in the Grand Calumet River Area of Concern, whose entire system flows through the northwest Indiana towns of Hammond, East Chicago, and Gary.

Cleanup Process

Sediment to be remediated: TBD
Contaminants: Heavy metals, PAHs, and PCBs
Method: capping
When: 70% design completed in 2016
Partners: U. S. EPA and East Chicago Waterway Management District
Cost: TBD

Schedule

The East Chicago Waterways project has a 70% complete design. If a cost-share funding partner comes forward, the project can move forward with design completion and cleanup.

More Information

Documents and Resources
East Chicago Waterways Design fact sheet  (PDF, 4p, 3.4 MB) May 2016
Feasibility Study for East Chicago Waterway Management District (PDF, 100p, 7.8 MB) June 2015
Grand Calumet River Area of Concern habitat report (PDF, 21p, 649KB) March 2014
Grand Calumet River FAQs (PDF, 12p, 5 MB) June 2013​​

Stakeholders
The Nature Conservancy
Shirley Heinze Land Trust
Save the Dunes
City of East Chicago
City of Hammond
IN Department of Environmental Management
IN Department of Natural Resources
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service