The Service has received a total of $193,074 as part of these settlements for the Midwest Solvent Recovery at the Midco I and Midco II sites and the Ninth Avenue Dump in northern Lake County. Storage, recycling and disposal activities at the sites in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in contamination of surrounding land and water by a variety of hazardous materials including PCBs, organic compounds, cyanide, and metals. Funds received by the Service are to compensate for fish, wildlife, and other natural resources lost as the result of contaminated soil and ground and surface water. "These funds will be put to good use restoring some of Indianas rarest habitats," said Service Regional Director Bill Hartwig. "Even though this part of the state is largely urbanized, we still have key opportunities to restore and protect wildlife habitat. This is an excellent start."
Although all three sites occur in the heavily populated and industrialized northern portion of Lake County, Indiana, the area still features remnants of the dune and swale habitat which once predominated the northwestern corner of the state. Some of these remnant pieces of habitat were contaminated by activities at the three sites, where wastes such as oil, paint solvents, sludges, resins, and acids were stored or disposed. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has conducted clean-up activities at all three sites.
Because restoration of the areas around the three sites is not possible, the Service will used the funds to protect other areas of similar habitat value in the surrounding region. Dune and swale habitat, considered a globally rare ecosystem, support a variety of fish and wildlife species, a number of them considered endangered or rare. Among them are the federally endangered Indiana bat and Karner blue butterfly, the state endangered least bittern and upland sandpiper, and the state threatened Franklins ground squirrel.
The Service plans to protect, through purchase or easement, some of the largest remaining unprotected remnants of dune and swale habitat in Lake County. Properties acquired would be deeded to a conservation agency or organization such as the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Land would be acquired from willing sellers only, and voluntary easements offered to private landowners for restoration purposes.
For details on the Services restoration plan, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 620 South Walker Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47403; 812-334-4261.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency with responsibility for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats. The Service manages 511 national wildlife refuges covering 92 million acres as well as 65 national fish hatcheries. The agency also investigates impacts of contaminants on fish and wildlife, enforces Federal wildlife laws, manages migratory bird populations, stocks recreational fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat, administers the Endangered Species Act, and assists foreign governments in their conservation efforts. The Service oversees the Federal Aid program that funnels Federal excise taxes on angling and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies for fish and wildlife restoration programs.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
