The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to dredge the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal of Chicago. Sediments from the Canal, one of the most industrialized and polluted areas in the nation, are seriously contaminated. The Corps has now proposed to place the contaminated dredged sediment in an open dump within a half-mile of the East Chicago Central High School and West Side Junior High. PCBs, one of the toxic substances found in the sediments, are known to volatilize and travel in the air. The health effects of PCBs are well known and include various forms of cancer.
Children are particularly vulnerable to neurological and development effects from PCB exposure.
Other toxics in the sediment include benzene, toluene, lead and mercury, all of which are associated with serious health effects, particularly in children. The Army Corps of Engineers reports that other approaches, though effective in treating PCBs and thus eliminating the problem, would cost too much. They also report there are no other sites large enough to hold the dredged sediment. At this time the Corps is continuing with its plans to start construction of the dumpsite. The community of Athens, New York has formed a group in opposition to Pacific Gas and Electric's proposal to locate a natural gas power plant on the Hudson River.