A ravine is a large gash in the ground caused by the glacial
retreat. The bluff which the ravine intersects is highly erodible sandy
clay material. Lake Michigan, this country's largest source of fresh water
inside it's borders, continually tries to erode this area.
The Army filled one ravine in particular with radioactive dials and gauges, medical and veterinary wastes (including out-of-date chemicals and medicines
of all types), sewage treatment plant sludge, solvents, paint thinner and
stripper, waste oil and all other wastes generated at Fort Sheridan. The
Army refers to this as Landfill #7 but that is not accurate because landfills
have high density plastic liners. This one does not so it is technically
a dump.
See how the Army covered up the hazardous waste with soil and clay
and recreated the bluff face? All gone! They also placed boulders called
rip-rap along the beach to dissipate the force of the waves so the bluff
would stop eroding.
Uh oh, here is something no one counted on! The nearshore zone, which is
the first twenty feet of lake bottom, is changing. It seems that the property
owners along the bluff tried so hard to protect their land that they robbed
the drifting beach sand system of new material. Lake Michigan decided to
get more material from the nearshore zone which is making the lake bottom
slope steeper. Now the underlying finer textured lake bed will erode even
faster due to underwater wave attack! Lake Michigan obviously did not consult
with the army on this. Nearshore changes will have a negative impact on
the Army's ability to engineer Landfill #7 in a way which will be protective
of human health and the environment.
If you want to know what you can do, stand
up and being counted! Let your legislators know your feelings. You don't
have to be a resident of Highland Park or Lake Forest to be concerned
about this landfill. Lake Michigan is a critical national
fresh water resource.
Send your congressman an e-mail!
Send your senator an e-mail!
Send Governor Blagojevich e-mail!
Send the president an e-mail!
by Steven Pollack
Concerned Citizen
You can become a part of the good fight by helping cover the cost of
advocacy in this matter. While not tax deductible, 100% of your
donation will go towards either litigation expenses or the cost of
publicizing this issue.
