Introduction to the Controversy
Federal officials are withdrawing a planned expansion of a lakeside dump on the Southeast Side after community opposition and a lawsuit, saying they’ll look for a new site to store contaminated material dredged from the nearby Calumet River.
Background of the Plan
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent years planning to build on top of an underwater landfill known as a “confined disposal facility” even as a community organization and a parks advocacy group challenged the idea. The Corps is responsible for making sure that the bottom of the Calumet River — a major waterway for commercial shipping in and out of Chicago — is deep enough to allow boats to easily navigate the water. The dredged sediment from the bottom has been stored for decades just north of Calumet Park along the lake near the river.
The Need for a New Solution
The problem is that the storage area is almost full and there needs to be a place to store the additional material scooped from the river bottom. In a statement, the Army Corps said it would work with the city to “find a sustainable and feasible alternative.”
Community Reaction and Legal Action
“This is very good news for Chicagoans and all of us who care about protecting healthy communities and Lake Michigan,” said Howard Learner, who heads the Chicago-based Environmental Law & Policy Center and fought the Army Corps plan in court. “There are better alternatives and better solutions than what the Corps has insisted on doing for the last seven years.” Learner filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of the community group Alliance for the Southeast and Friends of the Parks two years ago.
Concerns Over Safety and Environment
Among the concerns are the safety of Lake Michigan and residents exposed to contaminated material. Mercury and the long-banned industrial chemicals polychlorinated biphenyls, commonly known as PCBs, are among the contaminants in the dredge. The dredged-material dump, which is partly underwater in a pond, is designed to filter and then discharge clean water back into the river while the dredged material remains contained.
Future Plans for the Site
The site was actually supposed to be closed, capped and turned into parkland in 1995, but placement of the river dredging there has continued. A timetable for how soon a park will be created at the site is not yet known.
Conclusion
The withdrawal of the planned expansion of the lakeside dump is a significant victory for the community and environmental groups. The Army Corps’ decision to look for a new site to store contaminated material is a step in the right direction, and it is hoped that a more sustainable and environmentally friendly solution will be found.
FAQs
- Q: Why was the planned expansion of the lakeside dump controversial?
A: The planned expansion was controversial due to concerns over the safety of Lake Michigan and residents exposed to contaminated material, including mercury and PCBs. - Q: What will happen to the current storage area?
A: The current storage area is almost full, and the Army Corps will work with the city to find a new site to store the contaminated material. - Q: What are the plans for the site where the dump is currently located?
A: The site was supposed to be closed, capped, and turned into parkland in 1995, but a timetable for this is not yet known. - Q: Who was involved in the opposition to the planned expansion?
A: The community group Alliance for the Southeast, Friends of the Parks, and the Environmental Law & Policy Center were involved in the opposition. - Q: What is the next step for the Army Corps?
A: The Army Corps will work with the city to find a sustainable and feasible alternative for storing the contaminated material.
