While long-term dredging in the Indiana Harbor Canal (Phase 2) began in 2021, new major cleanup projects for both the Indiana Harbor and the Grand Calumet River are set to begin in late 2026, following a 2026 EPA announcement of over $200 million for sediment remediation and restoration to remove pollutants.
โConcerted efforts to clean up the Grand Calumet river and limit or remove sources of pollution are making the Grand Calumet River closer than ever to becoming safe for people, fish, and wildlife. Since 2009, more than 2 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment have been dredged or capped in the 13-mile Grand Calumet River system under the Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA). Wetland is being restored with native flowers, grasses, and other plants, providing food and shelter to local fish and wildlife.
- Indiana Harbor Canal: Maintenance dredging has been active, with Phase 1 completed in 2020 and ongoing, long-term dredging starting in 2021. A major “dike raise” project at the Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) was completed in June 2024 to support future dredging capacity.
- Grand Calumet River: Multiple sediment remediation and habitat restoration projects are underway. Several projects have been completed, and new ones are scheduled for late 2026 to address remaining legacy contamination.
- Future Scope: The upcoming 2026 projects, supported by a new settlement with BP and Atlantic Richfield, target further cleaning of the heavily industrialized waterway.
Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is dredging approximately 1.8 million cubic yards of material from the Indiana Harbor Canal to maintain a safe and navigable shipping channel. USACE must select the most cost-effective method for sediment disposal, which is the East Chicago Confined Disposal Facility (CDF).
โThis investment is more than a cleanup effort. Itโs a longโterm commitment to the continued restoration of one of Northwest Indianaโs most important natural resources,โ said Gov. Mike Braun. โEach phase of work on the Grand Calumet River brings us closer to restoring a waterway to the benefit of Hoosiers and steadily reclaiming its ecological health.โ
When areas with high concentrations of PCBs(meeting TSCA thresholds) were discovered in the canal, the community urged the U.S. EPA to consider off-site disposal alternatives. In response, a voluntary partnership under the Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA)โinvolving the U.S. EPA, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and ArcelorMittalโevaluated whether off-site disposal of this contaminated sediment was feasible.
However, moving forward with a GLLA-funded cleanup using off-site disposal required a cost-sharing partner, and none were identified. As a result, the U.S. EPA and IDEM approved disposal of the TSCA-level sediment at the CDF.
Previous cleanup efforts have been ongoing in phases for years, with several projects underway since 2020.
MORE RELATED ARTICLES . . .
Grand Opening of the Marquette Greenway Trail From Miller Beach to Indiana Dunes
On June 6th, 2026 the official ribbon cutting of the new 2.7 mile section of the Marquette Greenway trail was opened. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to National Park Service Rafi Wilkerson and Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commision Mitch Barloga, and everyone else involved for our magnificent trail. Theโฆ
Alarming Health Implications from Virginiaโs Data Center boom
Many Hobart Data Center proponents site the successes of Virginiaโs Data Centers as an example of their โsafeโ uses. That was then, this is now. Many Alarming impacts have come out after Virginiaโs Data Center boom started published by George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. A new groundbreaking study uncovers the alarming Healthโฆ
Why is it Costing Millions to Clean up Burns Harbor, Calumet River, Lake Michigan?
As the phrase goes, โDonโt mess with Mother Nature,โ well Cleveland โ Cliffs learned this lesson the hard way, after an environmental disaster occurred in 2019. Active cleanup and environmental improvements at the Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor steel mill in Indiana focus on correcting long-term water and air violations. Following a 2019โฆ
Logs To Lustrons Architectural Tour Coming to Indiana Dunes May 2nd
From rustic landmarks to Mid-Century Modern, experience a century of architecture at Indiana Dunes National Park on our May 2nd, 2026. Logs to Lustrons tour, featuring log structures of early settlement days, frame homes from the Victorian period, and mid-century homes of glass, stucco, and metal. On a 3.5-hour guided tour, participants will travel byโฆ
Documented Endangered Species at Hobart Indianaโs Data Center Location
Since the Indiana Natural Heritage Data Center Database does not guarantee the existence of Endangered Species in the Deep River Wetland area of Hobart Indiana, we have collected photographs from Hobart Residences that live there. We would like to thank these residents for their devotion to this project, but are also looking forโฆ
Hobart Marsh Plan by the IDEM and Lake Michigan Costal Program
During our research on the effect of the Hobart Data Center on the environment, we found the Hobart Marsh Plan documentworth looking into. This 21 page document was published in 2016, further emphasizes the importance of the Hobart Marsh Ecological importance. The area location is bounded by Interstate 65 to the west;โฆ
New Report Published about the Effects of Data Centers On the Great Lakes
The Hobart Indiana Data Center is located closer to Lake Michigan than most folks realize. Itโs actually 12 miles as the crow flies, and 16 miles using a 100% waterway, from Deep River (Hobart) to Lake Michigan. The effect of Data Centers on the Great Lakes is an important issue that should beโฆ
Studies Say the Bird Population will Die On Lake George (Hobart) with Data Center Operations
Lake George, in Hobart Indiana, is a vibrant stopover and a winter haven for a diverse array of water birds, from the year-round mute swans (your ~5 residents) to the seasonal influx of 36 plus trumpeter swans in winter. Sandhill cranes forage in the nearby fields and lake shallows and thereโs an ever-presentโฆ
Proven Documentation that Data Centers Damage Wetlands
The Deep River wetlands around Hobart Indianaโs Deep River flows through Lake County Indiana towards Lake Michigan. Deep River wetlands refer not just to a single swamp or marsh, but to a network of wetlands, riparian corridors, floodplains, forested bottomlands, marshes, woodlands, savannas, lakes, rivers, ravines, bottomland forests and prairie habitats that are scatteredโฆ
Ivanhoe South Nature Preserve Project Completed โ Gary Indiana
โShirley Heinze Land Trust invites the public to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony beginning at 3 p.m. on Thursday, October 30 at Ivanhoe South Nature Preserve, located at 750 Colfax St, Gary, IN 46406. This ceremony will celebrate the many partners and funders who contributed to the project. Attendees will see the new pavilion,โฆ
Story by Friends of Indiana Dunes Mount Baldy is a 126-foot-tall sand dune located at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, lying near the eastern end of Indiana Dunes National Park and just west of Crescent Dune . This parabolic dune began forming some 4,000 years ago and is continually changing because of natural andโฆ
Shirley Heinze Acquires 4,000 Acres in Stake County
4,000 Acres of the โBig Eastern propertyโ in rural Stake County has been acquired by Shirley Heinze Land Trust, to protect and preserve the land. โFor over sixty years, the Lucas family has treasured and provided stewardship for this fascinating and biodiverse sand country landscape,โ said Marty Lucas, President of Bigโฆ
Watch Our Indiana Dunes Hiking Video, Click HERE
Gary Indiana Celebrates Ground Breaking At Ivanhoe Nature Preserve with Shirley Heinze
On Monday, May 12th, 2025, the City of Gary celebrated new investments at Ivanhoe South Nature Preserve, with support from elected officials and partners including the Gary Common Council, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, American Water, and Berglund Construction. Thanks to major funding, the 50-acre preserve will see new trails, boardwalks, a pavilion, and a sidewalkโฆ
Hiking in Northwest Indiana
These past several months have been challenging. Many of us have taken refuge out of doors, or found hope and inspiration in the splendor of nature by admiring spring flowers and wildlife from our windows (or computers).
Our natural world unceasingly supports and inspires us when we ne
Continue Reading . . .
is PanoramaNOWโs Major โCauseโ โ
You can read more about these following Subjects Below:
Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
