Dredging and restoration work on another section of the Grand Calumet river is set to begin this spring, removing more than one million cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the river bottom and rebuilding local wetlands. 
 
Caitie McCoy, IISG’s environmental social scientist, provides some more information about the upcoming work: 
“Work will start April 22 on a project that will dredge (remove) or cap (isolate from the ecosystem) 1.2 million cubic yards of river bottom sediment contaminated with PAHs, oil & grease, PCBs, and heavy metals like cadmium and copper. Volume-wise, this would fill about 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Along with restoration of more than 50 acres of wetland habitat, this work will take place for approximately three years from Kennedy Ave to Cline Ave…
 

This work is funded by US Environmental Protection Agency, Indiana Department of Environment, and Indiana Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with US Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, Shirley-Heinze Land Trust, Save the Dunes, municipalities, and other local and federal partners. The US Army Corps has also begun dredging in the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, and is on track to dredge 300,000 cubic yards through August this year.”

This editorial in the Times of Northwest Indiana provides more information about the project. 

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🚨🚨 New episode alert!🚨🚨 Teach Me About the Great Lakes episode 104 is out!This episode is a scientist’s dream and a nightmare of would-be organizational acronyms. Dr. Drew Gronewold, with his multiple titles and international work, introduces the TMATGL team to the Global Center for Climate Change and Transboundary Waters and the value of data. (As if we didn’t know…)Tune in via the link in bio.
Join us in welcoming IISG’s new communications coordinator, Natty Morrison, to the team! Housed in Purdue University’s campus, Natty will develop and maintain the programs and products that promote and highlight IISG’s research, outreach and education efforts. Full story at the link in bio.
Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral. Application deadline: February 19.To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.
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