Stewardship (2004)
The ecology of the Calumet Region is highly complex and diverse. It extends from LaPorte County, Indiana into Illinois, from Lake Michigan to the Kankakee River. At the turn of the century, Dr. Henry Chandler Cowles of the University of Chicago studied botany in the Indiana Dunes and thus, developed two key theories, ecological community and vegetational succession, on which the field of ecology is based. The Calumet Region also speaks of a people, as varied as the flora and fauna, who are intermingled between a unique juxtaposition of the natural environment and industrial might.
Industries were and are attracted to the Calumet Region because of its accessibility and proximity to an ample water supply, to a variety of transportation routes and to Chicago, a gateway to the world market. Large manufacturing plants, mainly steel and oil, are located adjacent to the Lake Michigan shoreline. The opportunity for employment attracted a diverse population. During Northwest Indiana’s early progress, natural resources were largely extracted and exploited, i.e., the sand mining of dunes, drainage of wetlands, channeling of water bodies, pollution and contamination of air, water and land. Locally, concerned citizens responded by forming organizations, such as the Save the Dunes Council, to preserve the natural assets within the Calumet region. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, authorized in 1966, was one such successful outcome.
Nationally, the federal government adopted several environmental policies in the 1970s to mitigate environmental degradation and its negative effects on human health. These polices have had a profound effect on improving overall environmental quality. In addition, general public perceptions of natural resources have shifted to an emphasis on conservation and preservation. While much of our environmental policy remains under the shared jurisdiction of federal and state governments, regional and local governments have decision-making authority over land use and economic development that significantly impacts the environment.
Today, the Calumet Region enjoys cleaner air and water as a result of thirty years of environmental regulations and, more recently, due to private/public partnerships addressing environmental legacy concerns. While the area’s steel mills and oil refineries continue to produce forty percent of the nation’s steel and a substantial portion of the oil used in the Midwest, they are able to do so on less acreage. In addition, the population and lighter industries have shifted away from shoreline locations to the southern and eastern sections of the Lake and Porter Counties. This change is an opportunity to recapture land uses near the shoreline. As such, Congressman Peter Visclosky and the five mayors of Whiting, Hammond, East Chicago, Gary and Portage have secured funding for a feasibility study on a proposed project called the Marquette Greenway Plan. This ambitious plan promises to recapture up to 75% of the shoreline from the Illinois border to the City of Portage for public use.
The concept of sustainability undergirds these private/ public partnerships and the proposed Marquette Greenway Plan. It refers to an evolving process to improve the economy, the environment and society for the benefit of the current and future generations. Sustainable approaches recognize the interconnectedness of these three components and seeks to balance competing needs. Therefore, the focus of this chapter, the environment, due to its intrinsic value to human existence, is significantly intertwined with the other policy domains included in this report, which together reflect our shared quality of life.
5.1. Air Quality
Over the past decade, air quality in general has improved in Lake, LaPorte and Porter Counties. Again, federal regulation of point source pollution has contributed to this improvement. The federal government established the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six criteria air pollutants, all of which, in concentrations above certain levels, have demonstrated to have adverse effects on human health. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mandated to establish, periodically review and update the NAAQS if scientific evidence warrants. These criteria pollutants include the following.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, tasteless, colorless gas that is emitted from any form of combustion such as engine combustion, wood burning, open burning and industrial processes of various kinds. CO reduces the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen. It can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, listlessness and, in high dosages, death. There are two NAAQS for CO. The first NAAQS is a CO concentration of 35 parts per million (ppm) for a 1-hour average concentration not to be exceeded more than once per year. The second NAAQS is 9 ppm for an 8-hour average concentration not to be exceeded more than once per year.
Table 40: CO in ppm, 1-Hour Average against NAAQS
Year NAAQS Lake LaPorte Porter
2003 35 8.2 NA NA 2002 35 4.8 NA NA 2001 35 5.9 NA NA 2000 35 4.6 NA NA 1999 35 5.5 NA NA
1998 35 6.9 NA NA bright sunlight and calm winds. This reaction forms smog 1997 35 7.1 NA NA and can lead to ozone action days, a period when certain 1996 35 8.9 NA NA pollutant-generating activities should be minimized. Cars, 1995 35 8.2 NA NA power plants, refineries, chemical plants, gasoline storage 1994 35 8.6 NA NA and household paints and solvents emit NO2 and VOCs as 1993 35 10.4 NA NA a by-product of their use. Ozone can irritate the eyes, nose, Source: U.S. EPA throat and respiratory system. It can be especially harmful
to individuals with chronic heart or lung disease, as well as
the very young and very old. Children, in particular, can be Table 41: CO in ppm 8-Hour Average vs. NAAQS at risk during the summer months due to increased outdoor
activity. There are two NAAQS for O3. The 1-hour O3
Year NAAQS Lake LaPorte Porter
NAAQS is exceeded when the day’s highest 1-hour average 2003 9 3.4 NA NA O3 concentration is greater than 0.12 ppm. An area does
2002 9 2.6 NA NA
not meet the 1-hour if there are four exceedances in a
2001 9 2.6 NA NA
three calendar year period. The newer 8-hour O3 NAAQS,2000 9 3.2 NA NA enacted in 1997 to reflect the health concerns from longer1999 9 3.1 NA NA exposure at lower concentrations, is exceeded when the1998 9 3.2 NA NA 8-hour average concentration is greater than 0.08 ppm. 1997 9 3.8 NA NA An area does not meet the 8-hour O3 NAAQS if the 3-year
1996 9 3.7 NA NA
average of the each year’s 4th highest 8-hour average O31995 9 4.0 NA NA concentration is greater than 0.08 ppm.
1994 9 6.5 NA NA
1993 9 5.0 NA NA
Table 43: O3 in ppm, 1-Hour Average vs. NAAQS
Source: U.S. EPA
Year NAAQS Lake LaPorte Porter
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a poisonous gas that is the 2003 0.120 0.102 0.102 0.097 by-product of efficient, high temperature combustion of 2002 0.120 0.125 0.136 0.132 fossil fuels in engines, industrial processes, boilers and 2001 0.120 0.106 0.113 0.109 nitrogen gas, a major yet naturally occurring element of 2000 0.120 0.096 0.098 0.102 the air we breathe. NO2 is harmful to the lungs, irritates 1999 0.120 0.112 0.110 0.121 bronchial and respiratory systems and can increase asthma 1998 0.120 0.113 0.121 0.121 symptoms. The NAAQS for NO2 is attained when the 1997 0.120 0.116 0.120 0.122 measured annual arithmetic average concentration for the 1996 0.120 0.113 0.128 0.132 calendar year is less than or equal to 0.053 ppm. 1995 0.120 0.120 0.149 0.123
1994 0.120 0.105 0.120 0.116
Table 42: NO2 in ppm, Annual Mean vs. NAAQS 1993 0.120 0.085 0.095 0.099
Year NAAQS Lake LaPorte Porter Source: U.S. EPA
2003 0.050 0.019 NA NA
2002 0.050 0.019 NA NA 2001 0.050 0.018 NA NA Table 44: O3 in ppm, 8-Hour Average vs. NAAQS
2000 0.050 0.020 NA NA Year NAAQS Lake LaPorte Porter 1999 0.050 0.019 NA NA
2003 0.081 0.081 0.102 0.082 1998 0.050 0.019 NA NA
2002 0.081 0.101 0.136 0.101 1997 0.050 0.020 NA NA
2001 0.081 0.090 0.113 0.085 1996 0.050 0.021 NA NA
2000 0.081 0.086 0.098 0.085 1995 0.050 0.023 NA NA
1999 0.081 0.095 0.110 0.102 1994 0.050 0.025 NA NA
1998 0.081 0.087 0.121 0.09 1993 9 0.021 NA NA
1997 0.081 0.094 0.120 0.091 Source: U.S. EPA
1996 0.081 0.094 0.128 0.096
1995 0.081 0.099 0.149 0.103 Ozone (O3) is an odorless, colorless, highly reactive gas 1994 0.081 0.082 0.120 0.085 composed of three atoms of oxygen. Ground level ozone 1993 0.081 0.071 0.095 0.073 forms when its precursors, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOC), mix with high temperatures, Source: U.S. EPA, 2004
37
In 2003, Lake, LaPorte and Porter Counties all exceeded the 1-hour and 8-hour ozone NAAQS. In addition, Lake County exceeded the NAAQS for fine particulate matter PM 2.5 as well.
Particulate matter (PM10) includes solid particles and liquid droplets, excluding water vapor, with a diameter of 10 microns or less. Sources include combustion and industrial processes, engine exhaust, paved and unpaved roads and construction activities. Fine particulate matter called PM 2.5 is produced by all forms of combustion from engines, wood burning, open burning and industrial processes. The primary and secondary PM 10 NAAQS are met when the annual arithmetic mean concentration is less than or equal to 50 micrograms per cubic meter. The 24hour primary and secondary PM 10 NAAQS are met when the 99th percentile 24-hour concentration is less than or equal to 65 micrograms per cubic meter. The annual primary and secondary PM 2.5 NAAQS are met when the annual arithmetic mean concentration is less than or equal to 15.0 micrograms per cubic meter. The 24-hour primary and secondary PM 2.5 NAAQS are met when the 98th percentile 24-hour concentration is less than or equal to 65 micrograms per cubic meter.
| Table 45: PM 2.5, 98th Percentile vs. NAAQS (2003) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | NAAQS | Lake LaPorte | Porter | |||
| 2003 | 65 | 46 | 32 | 37 | ||
| 2002 | 65 | 40 | 32 | 33 | ||
| 2001 | 65 | 50 | 36 | 35 | ||
| 2000 | 65 | 44 | 30 | 32 | ||
| 1999 | 65 | 44 | NA | 45 | ||
| Source: U.S. EPA |
| |||||
| Year | NAAQS | Lake LaPorte | Porter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 15 | 17.4 | 13.2 | 13.2 |
| 2002 | 15 | 17.7 | 13.5 | 14.2 |
| 2001 | 15 | 18.2 | 14.3 | 14.2 |
| 2000 | 15 | 17.4 | 13.4 | 14.6 |
| 1999 | 15 | 16.5 | NA | 13.2 |
| Source: U.S. EPA |
|
|
|
|
Table 47: PM10, 24-Hour Average vs. NAAQS (2003)
Year NAAQS Lake LaPorte Porter
2003 150 167 NA 63 2002 150 114 NA 78 2001 150 130 NA 73 2000 150 123 NA 54 1999 150 166 NA 79 1998 150 136 NA 66 1997 150 138 46 76 1996 150 95 NA 208 1995 150 157 28 62 1994 150 89 49 60 1993 150 122 NA 62 Source: U.S. EPA
| Year | NAAQS | Lake LaPorte | Porter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 50 | 34 | NA | 23 |
| 2002 | 50 | 30 | NA | 22 |
| 2001 | 50 | 31 | NA | 22 |
| 2000 | 50 | 31 | NA | 22 |
| 1999 | 50 | 35 | NA | 25 |
| 1998 | 50 | 33 | NA | 25 |
| 1997 | 50 | 37 | 19 | 25 |
| 1996 | 50 | 27 | NA | 28 |
| 1995 | 50 | 36 | 16 | 24 |
| 1994 | 50 | 32 | 30 | 23 |
| 1993 | 50 | 34 | NA | 23 |
| Source: U.S. EPA |
|
|
|
|
Currently, the federal government is moving forward on the application of a non attainment designation that pertains to geographic areas exceeding ozone and PM
2.5 NAAQS. Official use of the federal designation for 8hour ozone and for PM 2.5 is not expected until 2004 and 2005 respectively. However, if we applied the pending designation to Northwest Indiana in 2003, the three counties were in non-attainment status because the area did not meet the NAAQS for ozone and Lake County was in non attainment status for fine particulate matter PM 2.5.
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a gas generated by the combustion of fuels, i.e., coal, oil, diesel and gasoline, containing sulfur. SO2 is also produced by industrial process and crude oil refining. SO2 can irritate the respiratory system and can increase symptoms in asthmatic patients. There are two NAAQS for SO2. The NAAQS for SO2 on an annual basis is 0.030 ppm, not to be exceeded in a calendar year. The 24-hour SO2 NAAQS is 0.14 ppm, not to be exceeded more than once per calendar year.
| Year | NAAQS | Lake LaPorte | Porter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 0.140 | 0.025 | 0.084 | 0.021 |
| 2002 | 0.140 | 0.032 | 0.107 | 0.031 |
| 2001 | 0.140 | 0.030 | 0.090 | 0.027 |
| 2000 | 0.140 | 0.046 | 0.080 | 0.027 |
| 1999 | 0.140 | 0.032 | 0.086 | 0.020 |
| 1998 | 0.140 | 0.055 | 0.093 | 0.026 |
| 1997 | 0.140 | 0.032 | 0.096 | 0.027 |
|
|
|
|
|
38 |
| 1996 | 0.140 | 0.031 | 0.102 | 0.026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 0.140 | 0.039 | 0.114 | 0.019 |
| 1994 | 0.140 | 0.055 | 0.080 | 0.027 |
| 1993 | 0.140 | 0.044 | 0.081 | 0.042 |
| Source: U.S. EPA |
|
|
|
|
| Year | NAAQS | Lake LaPorte | Porter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 0.030 | 0.004 | 0.004 | 0.004 |
| 2002 | 0.030 | 0.006 | 0.004 | 0.005 |
| 2001 | 0.030 | 0.006 | 0.004 | 0.005 |
| 2000 | 0.030 | 0.006 | 0.004 | 0.006 |
| 1999 | 0.030 | 0.007 | 0.004 | 0.005 |
| 1998 | 0.030 | 0.009 | 0.004 | 0.005 |
| 1997 | 0.030 | 0.008 | 0.005 | 0.006 |
| 1996 | 0.030 | 0.007 | 0.004 | 0.005 |
| 1995 | 0.030 | 0.008 | 0.004 | 0.005 |
| 1994 | 0.030 | 0.009 | 0.007 | 0.007 |
| 1993 | 0.030 | 0.009 | 0.010 | 0.009 |
| Source: U.S. EPA |
|
|
|
|
Lead (Pb) is produced in various ways, including smelting processes and battery production. Pb exposure can damage the central nervous system, thus affecting motor function and reflexes. It can damage kidneys and the brain. It can permanently impair the capacity to learn. Children are more affected by Pb exposure than adults. A quarterly standard is used in the case of lead. The primary and secondary NAAQS for Pb and its compounds, measured as elemental lead, are 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter, maximum arithmetic mean averaged over a calendar quarter. This level cannot be exceeded on a single day in a calendar quarter in any given year.
| Year | NAAQS | Lake LaPorte | Porter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1.150 | 0.04 | NA | NA |
| 2002 | 1.150 | 0.03 | NA | NA |
| 2001 | 1.150 | 0.07 | NA | NA |
| 2000 | 1.150 | 0.11 | NA | NA |
| 1999 | 1.150 | 0.11 | NA | NA |
| 1998 | 1.150 | 0.09 | NA | NA |
| 1997 | 1.150 | 0.13 | 0.02 | NA |
| 1996 | 1.150 | 0.21 | NA | NA |
| 1995 | 1.150 | 0.19 | 0.03 | NA |
| 1994 | 1.150 | 0.33 | 0.03 | NA |
| 1993 | 1.150 | 0.11 | NA | NA |
| Source: U.S. EPA |
|
|
|
|
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management formed an Air Quality Advisory Forum, i.e., NIRPC’s Air Quality Sub-Committee, will provide policy recommendations to interested parties that will assist the region in achieving attainment. An implementation process and a timeline will be developed and will provide detailed information on air modeling, emissions inventories and preferred control strategies for meeting ozone and PM 2.5 standards.
U.S. EPA and state environmental agencies believe that these pollutants and their precursors are regional in nature. Bringing areas into attainment with the respective NAAQS will likely involve controls on emissions sources that go well beyond the borders of non-attainment counties. The adverse effects of non-attainment permeate every facet of our quality of life. As is noted above, failure to meet NAAQS results in adverse health conditions, most notably for at-risk populations. Pollutants in the air and water can lower the integrity of ecosystems and have been proven to contribute to global warming. Lastly, it impedes economic development. Both existing and new businesses must maneuver through lengthy permitting processes and face higher operating costs in order to meet emission offset and reduction requirements. Further, the public sector must weigh policy decisions and monies requested for infrastructure related to land use, transportation and sewer systems.
Air toxins are other criteria air pollutants believed to cause cancer and other serious health problems. The EPA and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management test for the presence of such toxic chemicals. No standards exist for these pollutants, however, and a region cannot be designated in or out of compliance as such. Yet, as part of the EPA’s Cumulative Exposure Project (CEP), certain benchmarks have been established for outdoor concentrations of these several toxins. The lowest average concentrations recorded in Lake and Porter Counties during 2000 and 2001 exceeded the benchmarks established for benzene, chloroform, chloromethane, carbon tetrachloride and p-dichlorobenzene. The highest average concentrations recorded exceeded the applicable benchmarks established for styrene and trichloroethene.
Table 52: Cumulative Exposure Project (CEP) Benchmark
| (2003) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | High | CEP | |
| Benzene | 17.5 | 19.6 | 14.9 |
| Chlororform | 36.8 | 32.6 | 14.5 |
| Chloromethane | 23.4 | 21.0 | 12.4 |
| Styrene | 23.4 | 21.0 | 12.4 |
| Carbon Tetrachlorine | 23.4 | 21.0 | 12.4 |
| Trichloroethene | 23.4 | 21.0 | 12.4 |
| P-dichlorobenezene | 23.4 | 21.0 | 12.4 |
| Source: U.S. EPA, 2004 |
|
|
|
Note: Lake & Porter Counties figures are combined and average is shown.
LaPorte County
Another tool to measure air quality is the Air Quality 2003 56 4 0 Index (AQI) produced by the EPA and published daily in 2002 65 14 6 newspapers. This rating system uses a five-level scale. A 2001 67 9 0 score of 0 to 50 is classified as good air quality; 51 to 100 2000 51 3 0 indicates moderate air quality; 101 to 150 calls attention 1999 35 7 1 to conditions that are unhealthy for sensitive groups; 151 1998 40 12 1 to 200 indicates very unhealthy air quality; and air quality 1997 30 7 3 scored between 301 to 500 is deemed “hazardous.” 1996 31 7 3
1995 35 15 6
The EPA employs four levels of analysis in reporting AQI 1994 37 7 2 data: (1) the percentage of days in each year in which the air was good, moderate or unhealthy; (2) the highest Porter County score recorded in the year; (3) the value recorded in the 2003 72 4 0 90th percentile of scores; and (4) the median score. In this 2002 72 16 3 scheme, scores that reflect air quality that is hazardous 2001 78 4 0 for sensitive groups is grouped with scores that reflect 2000 65 4 0 moderate air quality. Scores indicating air quality that is 1999 73 9 3 unhealthy, very unhealthy and hazardous are grouped as 1998 53 10 1
well. 1997 26 10 0
1996 36 6 3
Building on substantial progress demonstrated over the 1995 40 14 3 last two decades, the data for Lake, Porter and LaPorte 1994 22 4 1 Counties indicates stable air quality. Only one unhealthy Source: U.S. EPA.
Note: Base is 365 days, index value “good“ is excluded from table as it can be derived from subtracting
day was recorded in 2000 and 2001, and that score was above totals for a year by 365. recorded in LaPorte County. Over this 2-year span, the median scores in all three counties fell in the good range. 5.2 Water Quality The 90th percentile value recorded in all three counties fell in the moderate range. The picture is complicated, The Great Lakes represent the second largest system of
however, when we disaggregate the scores recorded in fresh surface water in the world. This system contains
the moderate category. In all, air quality in Northwest 21% of the world’s and 84% of North America’s water Indiana was unhealthy for sensitive groups on fourteen supply. Ten percent of the U.S. population and 31% of occasions in 2000 and on thirty-three occasions in 2001. the Canadian population reside within the Great Lakes
basin. Lake Michigan is the second largest lake of the five
Approximately one-third of all people in the United States and 7th largest in the world. It extends along 45 milesfall into this category. Children can be at particular risk
during the summer months due to an increase in outside of coastline in Indiana, including its southern most point play. located at Marquette Park Beach in Gary.
Compared to air quality, water pollution may represent
Table 53: Air Quality Index, Number of Days that Air
a longer-term challenge to the region. Indeed, the
Measured below Good (2003)
importance of high quality water cannot be over-estimated. Lake County Moderate Sensitive Groups Unhealthy All communities in Northwest Indiana derive their drinking 2003 173 14 0 water from Lake Michigan, surface water or groundwater. 2002 178 19 1 Various manufacturing processes in the region depend on 2001 196 34 1 ready access to water as does a great deal of recreational 2000 212 17 0 activity. Water continues to play a vital role in our 1999 195 23 1 economic and environmental well-being with half of the 1998 77 9 1 Calumet Region lying within the Great Lakes basin. For 1997 62 11 1 these reasons, maintaining the quality of the region’s 1996 52 10 1 several water systems should be regarded as a very high 1995 83 14 3 priority. 1994 63 3 1
Such thinking is reflected in the considerable progress that has been made with respect to water quality in recent years. For instance, the region has a number of high
40
quality streams, rivers and lakes. The Great Lakes Initiative, under the EPA, has established more stringent water quality standards for the Lake Michigan Basin. The Lake Michigan Lakewide Area Management Plan has been developed under the EPA. In 2003, U.S. Steel dredged 787,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment along five miles of the Grand Calumet River. New phase II regulations pertaining to storm water runoff have been established and confined animal feeding operations are now regulated.
In addition, several projects are underway. The total maximum daily load rules pertaining to water quality impairments are being developed and will be implemented. Federal and state monitoring of industry and municipalities with respect to water quality continues. Various federal and state clean-up programs are in place. Soil and water conservation districts, the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service continue to address soil preservation and conservation practices pertaining to agricultural lands. Many stream and wetland restoration projects are underway. The state is in the process of creating septic standards for nitrate levels in the case of new septic systems and watershed-based planning has been initiated throughout the region.
Challenges do remain, however. The distinction between point and non-point sources of pollution is particularly important with respect to these challenges. Point sources, including municipal sewage treatment, combined sewer overflows, industrial wastewater and electrical power plants, can be monitored. Non-point sources are more difficult to control because of the systematic nature of water. Pollution enters the system and is transported through lakes, rivers and streams, groundwater and wetlands making it difficult to locate the origin of discharge. Non-point sources include soil erosion due to runoff, agricultural activities, land development as well as air deposition. Finally, cleaning up or remediating impacted water bodies can be time consuming and costly.
Internationally, the United States and Canada continue an over century long commitment of sustainable policies and practices to ensure water quality and quantity within the Great Lakes System. One key effort underway is the Compact formerly called Annex 2001. “In June 2001, the Great Lakes Governors and Premiers signed the Great Lakes Charter Annex, an amendment to the Great Lakes Charter of 1985. The Annex is a good-faith agreement amongst the Great Lakes Governors and Premiers to prepare, by 2004, a new basin-wide binding agreement that would enhance the Great Lakes’ regional water management system and ensure that Great Lakes are protected, conserved, restored and improved for future generations. The Annex proposes a system that requires improvement to the water and water dependent natural resources when an entity receives a new or increased withdrawal from the waters of the Great Lakes.” (Tetra Tech EM Inc. Chicago. March 2003)
At the state level, the IDEM tests water quality and monitors the impairments of major waterbodies, which could restrict human use or fish consumption in these waters. Impairments include impaired biotic communities, E.coli, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury (Hg), cyanide, oil and grease, ammonia, chlorides, total dissolved solids, siltation and nutrients.
Table 54: Impaired Water Bodies (2003)
Waterbody County Parameters of Concern
Main Beaver Dam Lake 1 Portage Burns Waterway Porter/Lake 1,2,3 Deep River Lake 1,2,10 Dunes Creek Porter 1,2 Grand Calumet River Lake 1,2,3,5,6,7,8 Marquette Park Lagoons Lake 4 Indiana Harbor Canal Main Channel Lake 3 Lake George Lake 1,2,3,6 Lake Michigan Shoreline Lake/Porter/LaPorte 2,3 Little Calumet River Lake/Porter/LaPorte 1,2,3 Niles Ditch Lake 1 Salt Creek; Clark Ditch & Other Tribs Porter 1,2 Trail Creek LaPorte 1,2,3 Turkey Creek Lake 1,2 Wolf Lake Lake 4 Galena River LaPorte 1,2 Kintzele Ditch & Tribs Porter/LaPorte 2 Rice Lake Tributaries & Outlet Stream Porter 2 Coffee Creek Basin Porter 2 Damon Run Porter 1,2 Gustafson Ditch Porter 2 Cedar Lake/Cedar Creek Lake 1,4 Cobb Creek/Breyfogel Ditch Porter 1 Crooked Creek Porter/LaPorte 1 Kankakee River Lake/LaPorte 1,2,3 Bull Run Basin Lake 1 East Branch Stony Run Lake 8,9,11 Singleton/Bruce/Bailey/Bryant Ditches Lake 1,2,9 Cobb Ditch Porter 1 Salisbury Ditch LaPorte 1 Little Kankakee River LaPorte 1,2 Pine Creek-Horace Miller Ditch LaPorte 2 Lower Fish Lake LaPorte 3 Dyer Ditch Lake 1 Source: IDEM, Abbreviated
1 Impaired Biotic Communities 5 Cyanide 9 Total dissolved solids 2 E.coli 6 Oil & grease 10 Siltation 3 FCA for PCB & Hg 7 Ammonia 11 Nutrients 4 FCA for PCB 8 Chlorides
To address impaired water bodies within the Great Lakes ecosystem, the United States and Canada signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1978. This agreement identified forty-three Areas of Concern (AOC), each having specific impairments to one or more of the fourteen identified beneficial uses. To date, two Canadian AOCs have been removed from the list and one U.S. AOC has been designated an “in-natural recovery.” Under the AOC, a three stage remedial action plan (RAP) process is developed, to restore the water bodies. RAPs are then reviewed and approved through the International Joint Commission (IJC). The AOC in Northwest Indiana is the Grand Calumet River and The Indiana Harbor Ship Canal. This AOC is the only one of the forty-three to have impairments to all fourteen beneficial uses. IDEM manages this AOC in conjunction with participation from local, state and regional agencies and organizations, both public and private, and this group is collectively referred to as CARE, Citizens’ Advisory for the Remediation of the Environment. Currently, the RAP has identified the actions necessary to remediate the 14 impairments.
Locally, Northwest Indiana enjoys thirty coastal beaches for recreational uses. Of these, twenty-five are monitored for E.coli bacteria, an indicator of fecal contamination. Water quality tests now yield results in 24 hours, which enables public health officials to issue alerts immediately (and more frequently than before) after a rain storm or other pollution event such as septic system leakages.
Beach closures testify to the Lake’s vulnerability. Not only are recreational uses immediately impacted, but the quality of drinking water and the ecology of the Great Lakes are threatened over the long-term. In response, the Interagency Task Force on E.coli was voluntarily formed in 1997 by technical experts from local, state and federal agencies to develop a comprehensive approach to address beach closings due to bacteria in Northwest Indiana. Goals established to date by the Task Force include consistent beach monitoring methods and data collection, the identification of sources and fate of the bacteria in the shoreline zone.
In 2003, high E.coli levels closed the 25 monitored coastal beaches a combined total of 48 times, down from 61 closures in 2002 and from a five year high of 92 in 2001. It is not clear whether this number is attributed to higher levels of contamination or improved monitoring methods.
Table 55: Beach Closures, Indiana Coastline (2003)
Year #
2003 48 2002 61 2001 92 2000 30 1999 32 Source: Lake Michigan Federation and U.S. EPA
Note: Indiana coastline runs along Lake/Porter/LaPorte Counties
Water systems can be contaminated by various point and non-point sources of pollution. We suspect that a reduction in the number of overflows involving combined sewer systems can have a positive effect on the health of Lake Michigan as well as the receiving waters upstream. With respect to groundwater, IDEM has identified ten high priority sources of pollution statewide: commercial fertilizer applications; confined animal feeding operations; underground storage tanks; surface impoundments; landfills constructed prior to 1989; septic systems; shallow injection wells; industrial facilities; materials spills; and salt storage.
In the past, cities and towns designed sewer systems to receive storm water runoff, domestic sewage and industrial wastewater in the same pipe. More often than not, these combined sewer systems carry all wastewater to the municipal treatment plant, where it is treated and discharged into an approved water body. During periods of heavy rainfall or snow melt, however, the capacities of these systems can be overwhelmed. As a result, overflows occur: untreated wastewater containing human and industrial waste, toxic materials and debris are discharged directly into a stream, river or lake.
Nine cities and towns in Northwest Indiana rely on combined sewer systems. All communities with combined sewer systems are now being required to develop Long Term Control Plans (LTCPs) designed to reduce the number and severity of wastewater overflows. Valparaiso and Michigan City have efforts underway to remove their combined sewer systems. Under phase II, they will be required to develop and implement long-term control plans that will bring them into eventual compliance with the Clean Water Act. In most cases, this will require the construction of separate sewer systems.
Table 56: Combined Sewer System Outfalls (2003) rivers, streams and groundwater. Wetlands absorb the Municipality # kinds of inorganic and organic nutrients that are included in farm fertilizers and septic system runoff. They filter
Hammond 20
pollutants, including pesticides and heavy metals, and trap
Gary 12
eroded soil particles. Beyond this, wetlands help control
Crown Point 5
flooding, support fisheries and other wildlife, minimize
East Chicago 3
erosion and provide recreation opportunities.
Michigan City 2
Chesterton 1
In 1985, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and
LaPorte 1
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sponsored the mapping
Valparaiso 1
of all wetlands statewide. Based on a 1991 analysis of
Lowell 1
these maps, Indiana retained 813,000 acres of wetland
Source: IDEM Note: Lowell does not lie within the Lake Michigan drainage basin. habitat, a mere 15% of the wetlands that existed prior to settlement. In the late 1700s, 24% of the state was covered by wetlands. By the mid-1980s, wetlands had The state also closely regulates underground storage been reduced to approximately 3.5% of the state’s total tanks because of their proclivity to leak and contaminate surface area. In the 1991 report, it was estimated that groundwater. According to the IDEM, a spill of only three wetlands comprised between 6% and 9.9% of the surface gallons of gasoline can despoil a town’s drinking water areas of Lake, LaPorte and Porter Counties. Unfortunately, supply. The state tracks all underground storage tanks that this data has not been updated since the 1980s. have ever leaked petroleum or other hazardous substances Presumably, additional loss of wetlands has occurred since into the soil or groundwater. IDEM now categorizes 1,177 that time, given the level of development that has occurred such sites in Northwest Indiana as active cases and 23.5% in Lake and Porter Counties since the 1980s. of these underground storage tanks are regarded as high priorities. Given the fragile nature of Northwest Indiana’s various water systems and the critical role that wetlands play in Table 57: Unresolved Underground Storage Tank Leaks preserving water quality and in assimilating flood waters, (2003) it would be prudent to protect those wetlands that still exist in the region.
Priority Lake LaPorte Porter
High 167 45 78
Medium 526 69 116
5.3 Solid Wastes
Low 136 31 20
Source: IDEM Solid waste is typically divided between four categories:
municipal waste, industrial, construction & demolition Septic systems also represent a potential source of and hazardous waste. Municipal waste includes any solid groundwater pollution. In the 1990 Census, the number waste that is generated by community activities or the septic systems was 18,274 or 11% in Lake County, 18,002 operation of a residential or commercial establishment. or 18% in LaPorte County and 14,444 or 32% in Porter Municipal waste can be disposed of in landfills or through County. Unfortunately, the Census no longer tracks septic incineration. All cities and towns in Northwest Indiana systems leaving a gap in local data. rely on landfills for this purpose. As might be expected,
hazardous waste is much more closely controlled than is According to retired Purdue University soil scientist Joe municipal waste. Yahner, every Indiana County suffers from failing septic systems. Septic systems are designed to filter harmful Two public policy concerns come to the fore with organisms and chemicals out of wastewater before respect to solid waste: the potential for groundwater they reach lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater. contamination and landfill capacity. In recent years, various Nevertheless, poorly constructed and poorly maintained proposals to develop new landfills in the region have met septic systems can release E.coli and other disease-stiff resistance. causing organisms into soils, ground-water and surface water. Despite stronger regulations and inspection The production of municipal waste has plateaued in recent programs, impacts to water bodies from septic systems years. Interestingly, however, per capita waste production continue. is substantially higher in Lake County than it is in LaPorte
County or Porter County. Indeed, it is more than three times Wetlands play a vital role in protecting the quality of lakes, Porter County’s per capita production level. This anomalous data may be due, in part, to a change in the state’s solid waste classification system in 1996. Lake County’s higher level of economic activity may thus be contributing to a significant difference in per capita waste production. It can also be difficult to determine the origin of municipal waste products due to the way in which it is collected and transported to landfills, most notably via transfer stations.
Table 58: Tons of Municipal Solid Waste Generated (2002)
Year Lake LaPorte Porter
2002 1,112,574 141,069 93,501 2001 1,099,149 110,455 107,780 2000 1,100,952 128,926 106,677 1999 1,115,650 124,388 95,070 1998 930,599 134,509 80,199 Source: IDEM, Indiana Solid Waste Annual Report
Note: This data reflects the amount of waste from each county disposed in an Indiana final disposal facility, either by direct haul or through an Indiana transfer station. It does not include waste disposed of out-of-state.
Data pertaining to the diversion of municipal solid waste through recycling is not uniformly tracked by the three counties solid waste management districts or IDEM. Therefore, the curb side and drop-off recycling table has been removed due to inconsistency in reporting.
Five different landfills are used by municipalities and private operators in Northwest Indiana. Only two of these five–the Deercroft Recycling and Disposal Facility in LaPorte County and the Munster Landfill – are actually located in the region. At the end of 2000, the state’s landfills retained a total capacity of 140 million tons. This represents an increase of almost 32 million tons since 1995. In 2002, out-of-state waste accounted for 18% of the waste disposed at Indiana landfills. The remaining volume is predicted to last until sometime in 2014. It is expected that landfill expansion will provide additional capacity beyond this date.
| Table 59: Total Disposal at Landfills (2002) | |
|---|---|
| Sites | Tons |
| Newton | 1,073,722 |
| Deercroft | 787,289 |
| County Line | 395,923 |
| Prairie View | 204,303 |
| Munster | 157,587 |
| Source: IDEM, Indiana Solid Waste Annual Report |
|
A total of 693,845 tons of hazardous waste was produced in Northwest Indiana in 2001. By comparison, 1,392,750 tons of hazardous waste was generated locally in 1989. S