A lot of folks' backyards back right up to the Grand Calumet River. And we noticed as we were dredging and capping the river
they took a lot more interest in their own backyard... gardening and taking care of their own piece of land.
-Carl Wodrich, Indiana Department of Natural Resources,
2012 press event
The sediment cleanup on the West Branch is complete!
The sediment cleanup on the West Branch of the Grand Calumet River is complete! Almost 150,000 cubic yards of sediment were dredged and capped in the river. This project included the restoration of seven acres of habitat.
The project was administered by a large team. The funding came from a Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) partnership between EPA and the State of Indiana's natural resource agencies, which used funding from a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) settlement with eight local industries to match federal funding. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided oversight as a NRDA trustee, and The Nature Conservancy, Save the Dunes, and Shirley Heinze Land Trust provided habitat restoration support.
The project was administered by a large team. The funding came from a Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) partnership between EPA and the State of Indiana's natural resource agencies, which used funding from a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) settlement with eight local industries to match federal funding. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided oversight as a NRDA trustee, and The Nature Conservancy, Save the Dunes, and Shirley Heinze Land Trust provided habitat restoration support.
Location
This project cleaned up sediment and restored habitat on the West Branch of the Grand Calumet River between Hohman Ave. and Columbia Ave, labeled #2 on the map.
Cleanup Process
Many sections of the river have been or are getting cleaned up through the GLLA. In addition, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is dredging 1.4 million cubic yards from the canal, and a U. S. Steel enforcement dredging project removed 788,000 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediment in 2007.
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Sediment remediated: 148,000 cubic yards
Contaminants: Heavy metals, PAHs, and PCBs Method: Mechanical dredging and carbon-activated capping When: 2009 - 2011 Partners: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Cost: $34 million |
Long-term Benefits
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More Information
Documents and Resources
Grand Calumet River Area of Concern habitat report (PDF, 21p, 649KB) March 2014
Grand Calumet River FAQs (PDF, 12p, 5 MB) June 2013
Grand Calumet River Area of Concern habitat report (PDF, 21p, 649KB) March 2014
Grand Calumet River FAQs (PDF, 12p, 5 MB) June 2013