East Chicago                            

Chicago District                        Waterway Management District

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Project Newsletter                                                                                               February 2002

                                                                                                                              Volume 1, No. 3

 

Published jointly by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District and the East Chicago Waterway Management District 

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Indiana Harbor and Canal Dredging and Disposal Activities

 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District (Corps), and the East Chicago Waterway Management District are joint project sponsors on work to remove contaminated sediment from the Indiana Harbor and Canal.  The harbor and canal were last dredged in 1973.  The purpose of this project, approved in 1999 for construction, is to dredge and dispose of contaminated Indiana Harbor and Canal sediment in a manner that:  

·         is safe to human health,

·         improves the environment, and

·         is economically beneficial.

 

First Major Construction Contract Awarded

 

Initial activities will include constructing a facility to contain the contaminated sediment at the former ECI site, located at 3500 Indianapolis Blvd. in East Chicago, on the Lake George Branch of the Indiana Harbor Canal.  The first item to be built at the site is a below-ground cutoff wall or barrier to control groundwater flow.  After completing a thorough evaluation of the proposals based on the criteria listed in the proposal request, the contract to construct the cutoff wall along the east, west and north perimeters of the site was awarded in December 2001 to Environmental Quality Management, Inc. (EQ) of Cincinnati, Ohio.  EQ is an environmental consulting and remediation company providing air quality management, water quality management and environmental construction services.  EQ’s clients include a wide range of industrial companies and municipal, state and federal agencies.

 

Construction of the cutoff wall is expected to start in Spring 2002.  The cutoff wall will extend approximately 35 feet below the ground surface, into the underlying clay till.  The cutoff wall is the first part of a two-part groundwater protection system that will serve to contain the contaminated sediment dredged from the harbor and canal, and also contain contaminants that currently exist at the site in the soil and groundwater.  The second part of the groundwater protection system is discussed below.

 

Other Work In Progress

 

The containment facility was designed to contain the on-site contaminants, and also the sediment that will be mechanically dredged from the harbor and canal starting in 2005.  The next few years will be busy ones at the site, beginning with construction of the Groundwater Protection System.  The Groundwater Protection System is composed of two elements--the cutoff wall mentioned above, and the groundwater removal system to be installed within the interior of the cutoff wall.  The groundwater removal system will consist of a granular trench and pumps, and will be used to maintain an inward gradient at the site.  The shallow groundwater table currently is encountered about 5 feet below the existing ground surface.  The groundwater removal system will maintain the groundwater level within the cutoff wall a minimum of two feet below the groundwater level outside of the property.  This inward gradient will work in conjunction with the cutoff wall to prevent groundwater on the site from migrating into adjacent properties or toward the canal.  Preparation of the scope to initiate design of the groundwater removal system is in progress.

 

Annual Regulatory Meeting

 

In conjunction with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2001 by the Indiana Department of Environment (IDEM), U.S. EPA Region 5, East Chicago Waterway Management District, and Corps, an annual meeting will be held this month with these agencies to discuss project status and review regulatory requirements, specifically those pertinent to the site features currently being designed.  The purpose of the MOU is to identify the roles of the agencies working together on the project, in recognition that the overall public interest is best served by the agencies working in a cooperative manner within their authorities and responsibilities.

 

Background Air Monitoring Initiated

 

To measure ambient air conditions prior to construction and dredged material placement, four air monitoring stations were installed near the property line of the site and one air monitoring station was installed at the East Chicago Central High School located approximately one-half mile from the site.  Sampling began on November 6, 2001.  The results of the initial background air monitoring have been posted and are available on the project web page, accessible from the Corps website, www.lrc.usace.army.mil.

 

Project Status Meeting

 

The East Chicago Waterway Management District and Corps will provide a presentation on current project status at the Citizens’ Advisory for the Remediation of the Environment (C.A.R.E.) committee meeting to be held on Thursday, February 21, 2002, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Room 300 at Calumet College of St. Joseph, 2400 New York Ave. in Whiting, Ind., located 2 miles northwest of the containment facility site.  All interested parties are invited to attend.  The main topic for this project status meeting is an update of the perimeter air monitoring initiated in November 2001 at the containment facility and high school.  The project status meetings are held on a quarterly basis to provide a regularly scheduled opportunity for communicating about the project.  The tentative schedule for future meetings is as follows: May 2002, August 2002 and November 2002. Locations will be determined at a later time.

 

Project Web Page

 

The Corps has posted information about the Indiana Harbor and Canal dredging and disposal activities project on their website at www.lrc.usace.army.mil.  This project web page is a part of an on-going effort to keep the public informed about the status of the project, and to provide a venue for public feedback.  This web page offers answers to frequently asked questions, and presents information regarding the history of Corps involvement at Indiana Harbor and Canal dating back to 1910.  The results of the initial background air monitoring have been posted and are available on the web page.

 

For More Information

 

Please check the project web page, accessible from the Chicago District website, www.lrc.usace.army.mil, for more information.

Or contact the Corps' Public Affairs Office at (312) 353-6400 Ext. 1300 or write us at:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, 111 N. Canal Street, Suite 600 (Public Affairs Office),

Chicago, IL  60606.