IDEM, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and other parties have worked to manage contaminated sediment in the Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor Ship Canal Area of Concern (AOC). The resulting sediment management projects prevent contaminants from impacting human health and the environment.
To date, projects have either been undertaken by a responsible party as part of a regulatory enforcement action or by U.S. EPA and various federal and nonfederal partners as part of a non-regulatory Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) action. These projects have typically used removal (dredging) and/or containment (capping) as the primary mechanism for conducting the cleanup, although limited habitat restoration is typically conducted as well.
Removal of Contaminated Sediments
Most of the sediment management projects in the Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor Ship Canal AOC have involved the removal of contaminated sediment. Contractors using excavating equipment carefully remove contaminated sediment from the riverbed without mixing it into the water. This task may be done mechanically, using a bucket to scoop sediment, or hydraulically, using a vacuum-like device to remove it.
In some cases, instead of dredging, water is diverted from the riverbed and dry excavation is used to remove the sediment. Either way, once the sediment is removed, it is dried and disposed of properly. Depending on the nature of the contamination, the sediment may be disposed of as a solid waste in a permitted landfill or as a hazardous waste in a containment area. In some cases, the waste may also be thermally treated to immobilize or remove contaminants prior to final disposal.
Containment of Contaminated Sediments
It is typically not possible to remove all the contaminated sediment from a riverbed, so a special cap is applied after the top layer is dredged or excavated. This cap may consist simply of a six- to 12-inch sand layer or may be more complex. The cap prevents the river from leaching contaminants or transporting contaminated sediments downstream. Meanwhile, bacteria and other organisms present in the polluted sediment bed naturally decompose many of the pollutants.
Historical Remediation Efforts
U.S. Steel Corporation conducted the first major project to remove contaminants from the Grand Calumet River in accordance with a 1999 federal Clean Water Act Consent Decree and a 1998 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Order. Under the order, U.S. Steel dredged a five-mile segment of the East Branch of the river and removed nearly 830,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment between 2002 and 2007. The sediment was disposed of in a Corrective Action Management Unit (CAMU) that was constructed on U.S. Steel property.
Navigational Dredging Of The Indiana Harbor and Canal
Congress first tasked the USACE with responsibility for improving the nation’s rivers and harbors in 1824. The River and Harbor Act of June 25, 1910 authorized a federal navigation project at the Indiana Harbor. Harbors and navigational waterways, such as those found in the AOC, must be periodically dredged due to sediments deposited by the water. Over time, this sediment makes the waterway shallower, which prevents heavier vessels from safely and efficiently navigating it.
The 1972 Clean Water Act prohibited open water disposal of the contaminated sediments from the AOC. These sediments contained oil and grease, heavy metals, ammonia, phosphorous, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and pesticides, among other compounds. The USACE drafted an Environmental Impact Statement for the 1973 dredging, which never occurred.
In 2012, the USACE resumed dredging the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal out to Lake Michigan, disposing of the dredged sediment in a special Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) in East Chicago. Since 2012, more than 1.6 million cubic yards of sediment have been removed from the waterway, reducing the influx of contaminated sediment into Lake Michigan and deepening the channel to improve ship navigation.
The Great Lakes Legacy Act
In 2002, Congress passed the Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) to accelerate the cleanup of contaminated sediments in the Great Lakes Areas of Concern(AOCs). Over the past 15 years, the GLLA has funded a number of cleanup projects across the region. GLLA projects utilize partnerships between non-federal sponsors and U.S. EPA to conduct contaminated sediment cleanup projects with the aim to use non-federal funding to provide a match for federal money. This non-federal match varies, but must be a minimum of 35 percent of the total project cost. The focus on partnerships to leverage resources is thus one hallmark of GLLA cleanups. Continued funding of GLLA work through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has enabled additional planning and restoration of the Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor Ship Canal AOC.
Natural Resources Damages Assessment and Restoration Program
The Natural Resources Damages Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program has been one of the key drivers of sediment remediation within the Grand Calumet River AOC. IDEM and the Department of Natural Resources share Natural Resource Damages (NRD) State Trustee responsibilities in Indiana. A Memorandum of Understanding [PDF] exists between the Indiana State Trustees and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under which the three agencies have agreed to work jointly on all NRD claims. Indiana state statutes concerning NRD include IC 13-25-4 (Hazardous Materials) and IC 13-24-1 (Petroleum Releases).
The NRD State Co-Trustees act on behalf of the public for natural resources, including ground and surface water, and the resources' supporting ecosystems, that are:
- Within the boundary of the State; or
- Belonging to, managed by, controlled by, or appertaining to the State.
The NRD Trustees have actively pursued claims against parties responsible for damaging public trust resources, such as migratory birds or public lands, through releases of petroleum and hazardous substances within the AOC. The Trustees, in partnership with U.S. EPA under the Great Lakes Legacy Act, have utilized funds derived from many of these settlements to remove and contain contaminated sediments from most of the West Branch and a significant portion of the East Branch of the Grand Calumet River. All told, NRD settlements have provided more than $66.5 million for projects to address contaminated sediment within the AOC.
Planning For Remediation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, IDEM, and project partners work closely together to plan a dredging and capping process. As it progresses, the project moves through four distinct phases:
- Investigation:
- During the initial investigation of the site, environmental scientists and engineers collect data on the type(s) of pollution at the site. This process may include examining historical records; collecting air, water, or sediment samples; and investigating the impacts of any pollutants to human health and wildlife. Once this step is completed, scientists have a more or less complete picture of which contaminants are impacting the site, where they are located, and how they affect human health and the environment.
- Feasibility Study:
- Scientists and engineers use the data collected during the initial investigation to develop competing, alternative plans for conducting the cleanup. They then decide on the best plan by weighing factors such as the cost, effectiveness, and durability of the various alternatives.
- Remedial Design:
- Scientists and engineers draft a cleanup plan based on the option selected during the feasibility study. The completed plan consists of detailed engineering diagrams, timetables, and plans for conducting the cleanup process. Application for the permits required to conduct the project also typically occurs at this stage.
- Cleanup (Dredging and/or Capping):
- During this phase, contractors follow the remedial design developed in the last phase, using excavation and/or capping equipment to remediate the site. Once this part is done, the cleanup is considered complete. However, a cap must still be monitored and maintained to ensure contamination does not leach back into the river.
In many cases, habitat restoration is also conducted in conjunction with the sediment remediation to improve the aesthetic, ecosystem, and economic value of the area. These activities may include: invasive species removal, native seed and plant installation, shoreline stabilization, and the installation of fish habitat structures.
Project Status
The Grand Calumet and Indiana Harbor Ship Canal AOC sediment remediation project currently consists of 10 major subprojects or reaches. As of July 2020, these reaches were in the following phases:
- West Branch GCR, Stateline to Hohman Avenue (Reaches 6 and 7):
- Completed in December 2016
- 46,135 cubic yards of contaminated sediment removed or contained
- Removal consisted of mechanical excavation and disposal of in a commercial landfill
- Containment consisted of a sand/organoclay cap with an armor layer
- Project also included the removal and proper disposal of debris resulting from the unauthorized dismantling of the former Monon Bridge
- Project cost of $20 million
- West Branch GCR, Hohman Avenue to Columbia Avenue (Reaches 3, 4, and 5):
- Completed in September 2011
- Combined sewer overflow outfalls removed from Johnson and Sohl Avenues.
- 54,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment mechanically excavated and disposed of in a commercial landfill
- 94,000 cubic yards of sediment contained using an activated carbon/sand cap with an armor layer
- Total project cost of $79 million for West Branch Reaches 1-5
- West Branch GCR, Columbia Avenue to Indianapolis Boulevard Portion (Reaches 1 and 2 - Includes Roxana Marsh):
- Completed in April 2012
- Approximately 585,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment removed or contained
- Removal consisted of mechanical excavation (Roxana Marsh) or hydraulic dredging (river channel) and disposal of in a commercial landfill
- Containment consisted of a sand/organoclay cap with an armor layer
- Total project cost of $79 million for West Branch Reaches 1-5
- Junction Reach – GCR, Indianapolis Boulevard to Kennedy Avenue and Indiana Harbor Canal (Pending):
- A 70 percent remedial design was completed in 2016
- Awaiting non-federal sponsors before cleanup can begin
- Estimated project cost of $30 million to $40 million
- Lake George Branch Indiana Harbor Canal, Middle and East Portions (In Final Design):
- Removal of contaminated sediments between Indianapolis Boulevard and the CSX Railroad line in East Chicago
- Containment of contaminated sediments from the CSX Railroad line in East Chicago to the BP land bridge in Hammond
- A 70 percent remedial design was completed in 2014
- Awaiting completion of final design before cleanup can begin
- Estimated project start date of November 2020
- Estimated project cost of $35 million to $40 million
- Lake George Branch Canal, West Portion (Pending):
- Hammond portion of the Canal west of the BP land bridge
- A 70 percent remedial design was completed in 2014
- Awaiting non-federal sponsors before cleanup can begin
- Estimated project cost of $10 million to $15 million
- East Branch, GCR, Kennedy Avenue to Cline Avenue (EB Reaches 4A/4B):
- Completed in September 2015
- 1,067,152 cubic yards of contaminated sediment removed or contained
- Removal consisted of mechanical excavation (adjacent wetlands) or hydraulic dredging (river channel) and disposal of in a commercial landfill
- Containment consisted of a sand/organoclay cap with an armor layer
- Project also included the removal of abandoned railroad bridges and a natural gas line
- Project cost of $88 million
- East Branch Phase II – East Branch, GCR, Cline Avenue to U.S. Steel Portion (Pending):
- A Feasibility Study was completed in 2014
- A 30 percent Remedial Design was completed in the summer of 2019
- Awaiting additional non-federal match before additional Remedial Design work can be completed
- Estimated project cost of $80 million to $100 million
- Indiana Harbor, Ship Canal, and Lake George Branch Canal, Navigational Channel and adjacent Non-Navigational Areas:
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the work
- Navigational channel dredging is federally funded
- Adjacent work outside the navigational channel is funded by private entities
- Work began in 2012
- 1.6 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment has been removed through 2019
- United States Steel Reach (Easternmost Five Miles of the Grand Calumet River):
- Completed in December 2007
- Undertaken pursuant to an environmental enforcement action
- 828,833 cubic yards of sediment was hydraulically dredged and disposed of in a Corrective Action Management Unit (CAMU) on U.S. Steel property.
- Project cost of $30 million
Additional Resources
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources developed a presentation [PPT] in 2009 that illustrates some before and after photos of remediation areas and lists the economic and social benefits of restoring the AOC. For answers to questions about the Grand Calumet River restoration projects, consult this brochure [PDF] or contact IDEM.