Grand Calumet River Restoration

Información sobre del Área de Preocupación (ADP) del Río Grand Calumet en español

Background

The Grand Calumet River lies in an area of great ecological diversity, a result of the convergence of three major biomes during glaciation. Over thousands of years the region and the river have changed ecologically due to ice retreat, lake level declines, settlement, and industrialization. Settlement and industrialization have greatly accelerated the rate and nature of change. For decades, industries directly discharged into the waterway— locking contaminents in the sediment. The river's polluted condition warranted the U.S. Enviornmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate the Grand Calumet River Area of Concern (AOC) in 1987 as part of the Great Lakes water quality agreement with Canada.

In order to delist the Grand Calumet River AOC, EPA and partners identified 12 sediment remediation and five habitat restoration projects or management actions. Of the 12 sediment remediation projects, six have already been completed and four are underway. The goal of sediment remediation is to address sediments contaminated severely with PCBs, PAHs, and heavy metals. Sediment may be addressed by dredging and/or capping to prevent further release of contaminants.

To preserve the remaining surrounding natural areas and improve the Grand Calumet River, an investigation into the extent of remaining buried contaminates is being implemented. Restoration and cleanup at the Grand Calumet River AOC will improve one of the most heavily polluted areas in the Great Lakes watershed and allow the surrounding communities to benefit more fully from the river and surrounding ecosystems.

Great Lakes Legacy Act Project

May 2024

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Great Lakes National Program Office has entered into a Great Lakes Legacy Act Project Agreement with the United States Steel Corporation (USS) to conduct a sediment investigation and feasibility study for the Eastern Five Miles of the Grand Calumet River (GCRE5M) and the Marquette Lagoons.

These areas are located within the Grand Calumet River AOC in northern Lake County, Indiana. USS previously conducted cleanup activities in the GCRE5M as part of its Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program through a U.S. EPA 3008(h) Administrative Order. In the summer of 2024, the U.S. EPA and USS will conduct sampling in the Grand Calumet River, Marquette Lagoons, and ponds located in the Buffer Areas between USS and Indiana Dunes National Park.

Project Goals

(1) Determine the nature and extent of sediment contamination
(2) Assess potential risks from this contamination based on collected data
(3) Evaluate potential clean-up alternatives, if necessary, to protect people and the environment.

Current Status

In the summer of 2024, you may see U.S. EPA and USS field crews or their contractors conducting sediment and soil sampling activities in the Grand Calumet River, Marquette Lagoons and Buffer Areas as part of this project. The U.S. EPA will lead sampling in the river and the East and Middle Marquette Lagoons. USS, in partnership with the U.S. EPA, will lead the sampling of the West Marquette Lagoon and Buffer Areas on its property. The East and Middle Marquette Lagoons border Indiana Dunes National Park. Sampling will help define the nature and extent of sediment contamination, address data gaps from previous sampling events, and provide bathymetry and basic geotechnical data. Bathymetry is a survey of the riverbed surface to help engineers better understand variations in depth. Geotechnical data will help define the type, quantity, properties, and location of any impacted sediment to be removed, if necessary.

More information on the Grand Calumet River Eastern Five Miles Project

More information on remediation and restoration projects on the Grand Calumet River AOC

For questions or more information about the site, please contact the U.S. EPA Project Manager Christian Bako at (312) 886-6787 or Bako.Christian@epa.gov.