Offering free legal assistance to residents and organizations in northern Lake County
Northern Lake County Indiana lies along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, is crossed by the Grand Calumet and Little Calumet rivers, and is dotted with wetlands in a dune and swale ecosystem that is globally rare. Over the past 125+ years, this region has also been home to heavy industry and the infrastructure to serve it – including roads, railways, pipelines, and shipping ports along Lake Michigan. Some of these industries have not always been good neighbors, polluting the air, streams, and land, and leaving behind toxic residues in soil and groundwater. The abuse of this pristine land has been so extensive and long-term that northern Lake County has developed a reputation as a dumping ground – a sacrifice zone for the most heavily-polluting industries. While even the dirtiest industry may create jobs, it can hardly justify the cumulative effects of all this pollution on the health of the more than 175,000 Hoosiers who call the Region their home.
The Conservation Law Center serves local residents working to conserve their natural environment and improve northern Lake County as a sustainable habitat for all. Our mission is to assist residents in making positive change in their community – to be their lawyer, not their leader. We do this by providing information about state and federal laws, connecting them with resources where they can learn about air and water quality, and answering questions about specific facilities. For individuals or groups with a specific environmental concern with a legal connection, we will enter into an attorney-client relationship to represent them in negotiations and, if necessary, litigation. If you live in northern Lake County and you have been trying to get answers or even to be heard, we may be able to help.
ONGOING CASES
Commission Undermining Public Trust and Violating Transparency Laws in Little Calumet River Projects
Stopping More Industrial Pollution in Gary
CURRENT MATTERS
Submitted comments, often in cooperation with other advocacy groups and organizations, proposing improvements on draft air, water, and solid waste permits being considered by IDEM in northern Lake County:
- CAA Permit Renewal for TMS International operations at Gary Works
- 5-year Clean Air Act Permit renewal for U.S. Steel Gary Works
- NPDES permit modification for U.S. Steel Gary Works
- Significant CAA permit modification for Safety-Kleen Systems plant in East Chicago
- Modified closure plan for fuel recovery shed at Summit, Inc. auto shredder in Gary
- Minor Source Operating Permit for Indiana Sugars facility in Gary
- RCRA hazardous waste permit renewal for Tradebe Treatment facility in East Chicago
Submitted policy comments of importance to our clients and contacts in the Region:
- Draft strategic plan for U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Environmental Justice
- IDEM’s draft rules governing civil penalties for violation of environmental regulation
Investigations: CLC attorneys provide information and resources to residents and organizations about:
- Neglected property owned by non-residents
- Purchasing property for gardens and community greenspace
- Herbicides sprayed in public parks and residential alleys
- Illegal dumping and Junkyards
- Legacy contamination and remediation at former industrial sites
- Contaminated stormwater from commercial properties
- Microplastic pollution in waterways
- Development of former Gary public school properties
- Air quality generally and regarding specific incidents
- Air deposition of pollutants
- Malodorous emissions
If you have information or questions about environmental concerns in northern Lake County, contact Mike Zoeller at mjzoelle@iu.edu or call (812) 856-4223.
