East Chicago

Chicago District Waterway Management District

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Project Newsletter July 2001

Volume 1, No. 1

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 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

What to Expect First

Initial activities will include constructing a facility to contain the contaminated sediment at the former ECI site, located at 3500 Indianapolis Blvd., on the Lake George Branch of the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal. The first item to be built at the site, a below-ground cutoff wall or barrier to control groundwater flow, will serve to contain not only the contaminated sediment dredged from the harbor and canal, but also contaminants that currently exist at the site in the soil and groundwater. This work is expected to start in spring 2002. Prior to this, air monitoring stations will be set up at locations near the property line in order to measure ambient air conditions prior to construction. Dredging is planned to start in 2005.

Work In Progress

In order to start dredging by 2005, the next few years will be busy ones at the site, starting 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 placed within the interior of the cutoff wall. The cutoff wall will extend approximately 35 feet below the ground surface, into the underlying clay till that is encountered about 30 feet below the ground surface. The groundwater removal system will be used to maintain and inward gradient at the site. That is, the groundwater level within the cutoff wall will be maintained 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.

The containment facility was designed to be large enough to contain sediment that is mechanically dredged from the harbor and canal. During the next year, the Corps will be reevaluating how the site operations would change if the dredging were done hydraulically. The method of dredging chosen affects how much water is removed along with the sediment when it is dredged. Hydraulic dredging utilizes a pump and pipeline to "vacuum" the sediment from the canal bottom. In order to lift the sediment, much more water than solids are carried in the pipeline, which leaves more water that will need treatment. The Corps will complete an evaluation on how mechanical and hydraulic dredging methods would affect the dredging and sediment dewatering timelines and potential impacts on air emissions. The Corps is committed to conducting investigations in these areas to serve the needs of the public.

New 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 status of the project and 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.

Project Status Meetings

The East Chicago Waterway Management District and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, will provide a presentation on current project status at the start of the Grand Calumet Task Force (GCTF) board meeting to be held on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2001. The project status will be discussed from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., Room 300 at Calumet College of St. Joseph, 2400 New York Ave. in Whiting, Ind. All interested parties are invited to attend. Two of GCTF's main missions are to clean up the canal and protect community health. The goals are consistent with the goals of the project, and why the GCTF was asked about the possibility of combining this project status meeting with the board meeting. The project status meetings will be held on a quarterly basis, in order to provide a regularly scheduled opportunity for communicating about the project. The tentative schedule for future meetings is as follows: November 2001, February 2002 and May 2002. Locations to be determined.

Interagency Agreement Signed

In May 2001, the Indiana Department of Environment (IDEM), U.S. EPA Region 5, East Chicago Waterway Management District, and Corps signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The purpose of the agreement is to identify the roles of the agencies working together on the project. Work on this agreement was begun several years ago, in recognition that the overall public interest is best served by the agencies working in a cooperative manner within their authorities and responsibilities.

For More Information

Please check the project website for more information: www.lrc.usace.army.mil

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.