Restoring Our Resources Indiana’S Grand Calumet River — the U.S

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Restoring Our Resources Indiana’s Grand Calumet River — The U.S. Steel Settlement When harmful substances human population. But interspersed among the factories, housing enter the environment, fish, ¢ Gary developments and refineries are some wildlife, and other natural of Indiana’s most important natural features. Unique among them is the resources are often injured. globally rare dune and swale habitat, a The Department of the series of low beach ridges interspersed with swales, or depressions. The Interior, along with State, natural communities associated with Tribal and other Federal this area include savanna, prairie, Corel Corp. partners, act as “trustees” for marsh, and swamp -- habitat which supports a number of plants and these resources. Trustees animals which are state or federally seek to identify the natural The U.S. Steel settlement area is located near recognized as threatened, endangered, resources injured and Gary, Indiana. or of special concern. determine the extent of the The Grand Calumet River Traversing the area is the Grand Northwestern Indiana has long been Calumet River. Located about 15 injuries, recover damages an area characterized by heavy miles southeast of Chicago, the Grand from the polluters, and plan industry. In the early 1900s, large steel Calumet River watershed and carry out natural and oil-refining facilities began encompasses about 25 square miles in locating near Gary, Indiana. Decades Lake and Porter counties, Indiana. resource restoration later, the region is a landscape of Nearby is the National Park Service’s activities. These efforts are factories, urban sprawl and high Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. possible under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program, whose goal is to restore natural resources lost to contamination. Led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Interior Department, along with other trustees, is accomplishing this goal on the Grand Calumet River in northwest Indiana, bringing a cleaner, healthier environment to the people The Grand Calumet River traverses one of Indiana’s most heavily industrialized areas. of the area. Clean up efforts are underway. Dan Sparks/USFWS photo. The waterway, in spite of its proximity to Gary’s industrial centers, continues to support a host of fish and wildlife, including rare species such as the bald eagle, peregrine falcon and Indiana bat, along with a multitude of migratory waterfowl. The Problem Over the decades, a number of factories, refineries, and other manufacturing facilities have released oil and toxic substances into the Grand Calumet River. These contaminants have affected the water quality in the river and the sediments in the river bed. There, they are a continuous source of contamination to the surrounding environment. The eastern five miles of the Grand Calumet River has been affected by Despite its urban setting, the Grand Calumet River supports a diversity of fish and release of pollutants by the U.S. Steel’s wildlife resources. Dan Sparks/USFWS photo. (USX) Gary Works. Located there since 1909, the Works has released substances such as polychlorinated Restoring the Resources A Partnership for Success biphenyls (PCBs), oil, benzene, Thanks to the efforts of the Interior The USX settlement and restoration cyanide, and heavy metals into the Department and the State of Indiana, effort is an example of what can be river. Resources such as fish, birds, the USX settlement will help restore achieved when state and federal endangered species, surface and those resources lost over the decades partners work together to benefit the ground water, and State and Federal to pollution. In addition to the dredging, American public. The Interior lands have been affected. Pollutants USX will support restoration of in- Department, State of Indiana, U.S. occurring in sediments in the riverbed stream habitat for fish and aquatic Environmental Protection Agency, kill fish, injure migratory birds, and invertebrates in the river, and will also and U.S. Justice Department joined release contaminants into the river enhance riparian (stream-side) habitat efforts to secure a cleaner environment and into Lake Michigan. along the waterway. The company, to for the people of northwestern help replace the lost resources, agreed Indiana, and a healthier ecosystem for Solving the Problem to acquire 139 acres of dune and swale the natural resources in this heavily There is an ongoing effort to clean up habitat to become part of the National urbanized area. The cooperative effort the Grand Calumet River. Partners Park Service’s Indiana Dunes National will continue as trustees seek similar such as the Interior Department, U.S. Lakeshore. The Indiana Department success for the remainder of the Grand Environmental Protection Agency, of Natural Resources will receive 77 Calumet River. and State of Indiana are working to acres of land along nearby Salt Creek. negotiate cleanup efforts among the And, under the agreement, USX will parties responsible for polluting the spend $1 million in monitoring efforts river. One big step has already been to ensure the ongoing success of the achieved. In August 1998, the restoration project. Department of Justice announced a settlement with USX whereby release Restoration of the natural resources of contaminants into the environment associated with the Grand Calumet will be stopped and the eastern 5 miles River will benefit not only the fish, of the Grand Calumet River will be birds, and other wildlife that depend completely dredged. The dredging on the river, but will make the human project, at a cost of about $30 million to environment a better place to live. be paid for by USX, will completely Increased recreation, cleaner water, a remove the contaminated sediment more pleasing landscape, and the For more information, contact: from the riverbed and place it in a safe, opportunities to appreciate natural U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sealed storage area. The U.S. Fish and features will be available to residents 620 South Walker Street Wildlife Service, with a focus on in the area. This is especially important Bloomington, Indiana 47403 benefitting injured natural resources, in an urban setting, where many 812/334-4261 was instrumental in expanding the people may feel removed from the original settlement to ensure that the resources that others take for granted. http://www.fws.gov/ dredging project completely removed contaminants that continue to affect fish, September 11, 2001 water quality, birds, and other resources. .

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