EPA and Partners Announce more than $200 Million to Clean Up Grand Calumet River Area of Concern

EPA and Partners Announce more than $200 Million to Clean Up Grand Calumet River Area of Concern

January 22, 2026

CHICAGO (January 22, 2026) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Atlantic Richfield, BP Products North America Inc. and the East Chicago Waterway Management District announced a project agreement to clean up contaminated sediments at two sites in the Grand Calumet River Area of Concernin Northwest Indiana. The agreement commits more than $200 million to remove more than 240,000 cubic yards of contaminated canal and river bottom sediment across a combined area of 100 acres. This agreement builds on the progress made to clean up the AOC with more than 2 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment already remediated and six of the 12 sediment projects completed to delist the AOC.

"By working side-by-side with our partners, and leveraging the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, we're accelerating the cleanup of contaminated sediments and restoring critical habitat along the Grand Calumet River," said EPA Region 5 Administrator Anne Vogel. "This agreement demonstrates the power of partnership to deliver results that matter for people and nature. The impact will be clear: cleaner water, healthier neighborhoods, better fishing and recreation, and renewed economic momentum for East Chicago, Hammond, and communities across Northwest Indiana."

"This investment is more than a cleanup effort. It's a long-term commitment to the continued restoration of one of Northwest Indiana's most important natural resources," said Gov. Mike Braun. "Each 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."

"I thank the Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the State of Indiana, the East Chicago Waterway Management District, the City of East Chicago, and our local industry partners for their collaboration in addressing the long-standing environmental legacy costs of the Grand Calumet River," said U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan. "This more than $200 million restoration effort will further protect public health, restore one of the nation's most polluted waterways, and unlock opportunities for economic growth and new jobs in Northwest Indiana."

"The District's board appreciates the continued support and participation of Mayor Copeland, Governor Braun, Congressman Mrvan, EPA and our local partners Atlantic Richfield and BP in advancing the restoration and revitalization of East Chicago's waterways," said Fernando M. Treviño, Executive Director of the East Chicago Waterway Management District. "This project marks a significant milestone and sets the stage for future economic growth and expanded recreational opportunities along our waterways."

"We appreciate the opportunity to work with EPA and the East Chicago Waterway Management District on the next phase of remediation in the Grand Calumet Area of Concern," said Patricia Gallery, President of Atlantic Richfield Co. "These are important projects that will benefit the City of East Chicago and surrounding northwest Indiana communities."

The Junction Reaches project site includes remediation of sediments and ecosystem restoration within the Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal in East Chicago. The Lake George Canal project site will remediate sediment within a one-mile stretch of the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal in East Chicago and Hammond, advancing a multi-phase sediment remediation project that began in 2020. Construction activities for both projects are expected to begin in late 2026.

Background

The Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal are located in one of the most heavily industrialized areas in the United States. The river and harbor were designated as an Area of Concern under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreementin the 1980s. An AOC is an area where significant environmental degradation has occurred.

EPA and partners-funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiativeand non-federal contributions through project agreements under the Great Lakes Legacy Act-have remediated more than 2 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and restored more than 1,000 acres of important habitat within the Grand Calumet River AOC, including the restoration of globally rare dune and swale habitat. To date, six of the 12 sediment remediation projects and two of the five habitat restoration projects necessary to delist the AOC have been completed.

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