Series of Meetings on Environmental Issues Hosted by OD Church

The public is invited to a series of meetings hosted by the Ogden Dunes Community Church on stewarding planet earth. The “Community Leadership Dialogue Series: Creation Care and Climate Stewardship, Doing Your Part” is being organized by Allison Hannon, daughter of long-time residents Laura and John Hannon, who is Midwest Regional Manager of The Climate Group. The series of meetings will all be held at Ogden Dunes Community Church from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Allison will speak at the first series get-together on Wednesday, October 28. The subject will be understanding climate change and environmental stewardship, and ways you can make a difference.

Ogden Dunes resident and State Senator Karen Tallian, as well as John Hannon, P.E., will be the featured speakers at the second meeting on Wednesday, November 4. They will provide a briefing on local, state and federal environmental policies with a special focus on water issues.

The final workshop, to be held Wednesday, November 18, will focus on ways you can reduce waste through recycling and composting at your home and/or office. The featured speaker will be Deanne Greenwood, Education Coordinator, Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County.

If you are interested in attending, please send an email to hannon.allison@gmail.com or by calling 762-6067. The series is free of charge.

The goal of the non-profit Climate Group, based in the United Kingdom, is to help government and business set the world economy on the path to a low-carbon, prosperous future. To reach that goal, they have created a coalition of governments and the world’s most influential businesses – all committed to tackling climate change. Through this coalition, they are helping to set the targets, create the policies, build the confidence, and generate the political willpower needed to make the changes the world requires by 2050.

Attend a Dune Acres Presentation on Ground Water and Ecology

The Dunes Acres Environmental Committee and the Ogden Dunes Environmental Advisory Board invite you to a presentation to be held Sunday, November 1 on ground water, ecology, Lake Michigan levels, and other events that can impact the flora of the Indiana Dunes. The meeting is being held at the Dune Acres Club House at 2:00 p.m. and is free. Refreshments will be served.

The featured speaker will be Dr. Noel B. Pavlovic, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, stationed at the Lake Michigan Ecological Research Station in Porter, IN. He received his PhD in biological sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago, an MSc. in ecology from the University of Tennessee, a Graduate Diploma in Science-Botany from the Australian National University, and B.Sc. from Earlham College. He has worked in the Indiana Dunes for 26 years and resides with his family on a 14,000 year old Glenwood Dune adjacent to the national park.

Dune Acres has shared some of the same challenges as Ogden Dunes with respect to high ground water and invasive species issues.

The Dune Acres Clubhouse is an interesting landmark to visit. Located on Clubhouse Dr. on one of the highest points in Town, it was built of logs and originally opened in 1926. To get there, enter Dune Acres and continue up the main road. Clubhouse Dr. is the second street on the right.

Air and Odor Issues Discussed at ODEAB Monthly Meeting

Particpants at the October 13 ODEAB meeting learned about how the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) inspects and monitors Precoat Metals for its air and water emissions.

Attending from IDEM were Ramesh Tejuja, IDEM inspector; and Michael Aylesworth, Director of the IDEM Northern Regional Office. Also in attendance was the recently hired Environmental Specialist for the National Park Service, Charles Morris.

IDEM, of course, has to work within the parameters of Precoat’s Title V air permit. Precoat's current air permit does not expire until 2011. A draft permit would probably be released for public comment some time in 2010.

Ramesh answered questions about the Precoat Facility and basically reiterated that if any malfunctions occur in the production line and incinerator, the line will automatically shut down. However, attendees expressed concern that some mechanisms of failure could still be overlooked.

Also discussed were the electrical burning smell residents are occasionally noticing this past few months, as well as concerns that not much can be done if an industry is operating within the means of their IDEM-approved permit.

While permits can help prevent emissions, poorly written permits, or permits that overlook failures or other emission sources, can cause problems as well. Everyone agreed that permits need to be reviewed when they are up for renewal, even if outside assistance needs to be obtained. It was also emphasized that air pollution is not just an Ogden Dunes issue, and therefore outreach needs to be done to get other communities and groups involved.

Solvents in paint coatings can have a detectable odor at a very low part per million. Unfortunately, odors are not regulated in the state of Indiana, but they can be an indicator that something else is happening.

The ODEAB also learned from IDEM that residents from Ogden Dunes are the ones who most frequently call in complaints about nearby industry, indicating that the ODEAB has done a good job in promoting the pollution prevention hotline. Again, it was emphasized that more than Ogden Dunes residents need to contact IDEM if anything is ever to be done about the issues. (http://www.in.gov/idem/5275.htm)

It was also suggested that residents complain to the National Park Dispatch office at 395-1772 if they are on National Park property, i.e., the Portage Lakefront Riverwalk, and feel that their ability to enjoy the park is being compromised. It was emphasized to only call dispatch during hours when the park is open during the day, not at night when the park is closed.

If you contact IDEM and know an inspector is coming to our area, it might also be helpful to contact the Town Hall at 762-4125 so that the Town Marshall and or officers can be notified. That way if an inspector comes across an officer the officer can be clued in to assist them or direct them to the area being impacted.

Action items that came out of the meeting included:

• Getting ODEAB members trained on the IDEM-provided grab canisters.
• Learning more about nuisance laws.
• Determining if other facilities, like AMROX and/or Beta Steel are in compliance.
• Inviting Precoat representatives to the November 10 ODEAB meeting at 8:30 a.m.
  

Residents Plagued with Bad Air Lately

Numerous complaints are being logged by O.D. residents this past few days about the bad air that is invading from industries east of Town. In particular, some residents have experienced a severe burning electrical smell that was so bad it woke at least one resident up at 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9.

In response, several members of the ODEAB are taking some steps to identify and try to alleviate the problem. A call was made September 9 to Hala Kuss, director of the Northwest Indiana Office of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to complain about the situation. Fortunately, because several residents were already diligently making contact with IDEM about the problem, she was already aware of the problem and is sending her inspectors out to find out which industry is causing the electrical burning smell and whether or not any of them have changed their processes recently.

Calls have also been made to U.S. Steel Midwest to see if they can help identify the problem; and to Precoat Metals to let them know about the issue.

Lodging complaints with IDEM is imperative in these situations. This may be accomplished either on-line by visiting http://www.in.gov/idem/5275.htm or by calling the Complaint Coordinator at (800) 451-6027 ext.24464. Spills and environmental emergencies should be immediately reported to IDEM at (888) 233-7745.

When filing a complaint, please provide as much detail as possible about the location of the complaint, when the activity occurred, and what happened. Wind direction information is also helpful to IDEM. The information submitted may be considered public record and subject to disclosure by IDEM. It may also be submitted anonymously.
For more information on the IDEM Complaints Clearinghouse Program, visit http://www.in.gov/idem/5274.htm.

Let us know below in the Comment area what you have been experiencing...

Volunteer for September 19 Beach Clean Up

Take part in a worldwide shoreline clean-up on September 19 as part of the ODEAB’s ongoing efforts to keep our beach “barefoot friendly.” Volunteers will meet at 9:30 a.m. where Diana Rd. runs into Shore Dr. The event will run until 11:30 a.m.

During the clean-up, participants will be divided into teams along the beach, and will tally the types of garbage collected. All supplies will be provided. The tallies are then logged into the Alliance for the Great Lake's on-line database, which provides valuable information on where garbage might be coming from; and how we can educate people not to litter the beach and/or Lake Michigan and its tributaries.

The ODEAB has been participating in the International Coastal Clean-up Day, organized by the Ocean Conservancy, for approximately six years. Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois efforts are coordinated for the Conservancy by the Chicago-based Alliance for the Great Lakes.

During the annual event in 2008, thousands of pounds of trash were cleared by more than 500 volunteers in Indiana (note: 125 of these volunteers came from Ogden Dunes alone!).

According to the Alliance, the top three items removed in 2008 included cigarette filters (175,259; food wrappers and containers (45,225); and finally, caps and lids (44,269). In addition to litter pick-up and monitoring, Adopt-a-Beach™ teams and volunteers collect valuable data on our beaches through water quality testing and science-based beach observations. This information is used on a site-by-site basis to improve beach conditions.

To entice families to participate, the ODEAB will hold a drawing for five free registrations for Family Night on the Beach to be held that same night – valued at more than $12 each.

This effort builds on the beach clean-up held on August 22nd that attracted 50 volunteers who picked up more than 130 lbs. of waste from the beach (see next article). The data will provide metrics and information to be used for a pollution prevention program the ODEAB would like to roll out next summer.

Show your love for the beach and Lake Michigan – and make a difference by volunteering the morning on September 19. If you know now that you plan to be there, please send an email to Susan MiHalo at spsmodin@verizon.net.

Plastic and Styrofoam Trash Grow Exponentially on the Beach

The table in the picture (click on it) shows the types and amounts of trash collected in 2007 and at the August 22nd, 2009 beach clean up. While there are many factors that can impact beach conditions, it’s still interesting to note some of the increases we have witnessed with respect to glass containers, plastic beverage bottles, food wrappers, cigarettes, Styrofoam and pieces of plastic.

Think about that the next time you go to the beach with these kinds of items and remember: “Most polymers like plastic and Styrofoam just break down into smaller pieces – they never really leave the environment.” They are also bad for pets and birds that try to eat them; and they are manufactured with petroleum.

Special Beach Clean up and After Party at Blue Water on August 22nd

Help keep the O.D. Beach "Barefoot Friendly" at a special Beach Clean Up on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. Meet at Accessway #14 to clean the entire length Ogden Dunes Beach. Then, celebrate our efforts from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at a special gathering at Blue Water, 5987 Dune Harbor Drive, Portage, compliments of the Barefoot Wine Co. Please email Susan MiHalo at spsmodin@verizon.net if you plan to participate and how many will be in your group so that enough supplies are available.

The Ogden Dunes Environmental Advisory Board is dedicated to keeping our beach beautiful by participating in the Alliance for the Great Lake’s “Adopt-a-Beach” program for the past six years. During the clean-up, participants will be divided into teams along the beach, and will tally the type of garbage collected. All supplies will be provided.

The tallies are then logged into the Alliance’s on-line database, which provides valuable information on where garbage might be coming from; and how we can educate people not to litter the beach and/or Lake Michigan and its tributaries.

Barefoot Wine, a maker of fun, flavorful and affordable wine and bubbly, is dedicated to helping keep beaches “barefoot friendly.” They’ve done this by partnering over the last 20 years with the Surfrider Foundation to do beach cleanups and restorations around the country.

The special gathering at Blue Water will feature Appetizers and Barefoot wines. Because alcohol will be served, this event is only for people 21 years of age and older. Instead, we encourage families to participate in the International Coastal Clean-up Day at 9:30 a.m. on September 19. Families who participate on September 19 will have their name entered into a drawing for five free reservations for the Family Fun Night and Campout also to be held on the beach on September 19.

Can we count on you to show how much you love our beach and Lake Michigan? Please let Susan MiHalo know if you will be there, and invite your friends too.

The ODEAB is looking forward to meeting you at Accessway #14 on both dates at 9:30 a.m!

ODEAB Meeting to Focus on Beach Garbage

The July 14 meeting of the Ogden Dunes Environmental Advisory Board will primarily focus on the status of the beach this summer -- more specifically beach trash. The meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. at the Town Hall.

A number of residents are noticing more and more trash on the beach, which is either originating on the beach or washing up from Lake Michigan. The Street Department has worked on cleaning the beach several times this summer, only to have more trash appear soon after.

There has been some speculation that perhaps the increased trash is simply more aftermath from the September 2008 storm that washed marinas, boats and trash down the 331-square-mile watershed that feeds into the waterway.

The agenda will feature not only how the town can track garbage using the Alliance for the Great Lake's "Adopt-a-Beach" program (http://www.greatlakes.org/Page.aspx?pid=525), but also other ways town residents can advocate for a cleaner Lake Michigan and cleaner waterways, i.e., by participating in watershed planning and implementation efforts in the area. Methods for keeping the beach clean and educating residents about cleaning up after themselves will also be discussed.

All residents are invited to attend.

New Video Helps Explain Beach Water Quality Monitoring

The Ogden Dunes Environmental Advisory Board, with the assistance of Best Light Productions and a small grant from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, recently produced a short video that helps educate residents about how water quality at the beach is monitored. The video premiered at the monthly Town Council meeting on July 6.

To view the approximately 13-minute video, click on the link on http://www.ogdendunes.net/ that says "How do we know if it's safe to swim?" or visit http://www.bestlightproductions.com/od_environ_video.htm.

A number of Ogden Dunes residents were involved in the production of the video, including Susan MiHalo, Dan Manas, Joyce Webber, John Muller, Karen Berrier, Polly Costanza, Cheryl and Ken Engel, and Nick Kniola. Former resident Meredith Nevers (Nancy and Tom Becker's daughter), who works for the US Geological Survey as an Aquatic Ecologist; and Bob Theodorou, who is the Lab Manager for United Water Co. and runs the E. coli tests, also appear in the video.

The video is designed to take viewers step-by-step through the monitoring process so that residents can be assured that their health is being protected from pathogens that can cause waterborne illnesses. The Ogden Dunes beach can sometimes be adversely affected by Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO's) that travel down the approximately 331-square miles of watershed that feed into the Burns Waterway.

Bioblitz Starts Today!

Year-long plans for a Bioblitz at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (IDNL) will be executed today -- rain or shine!

Sponsored by National Geographic, BioBlitz is a free, 24-hour event in which teams of worldwide and world-reknowned scientists, volunteers and community members join forces to find, identify, and learn about as many local plant and animal species as possible. These teams will start carefully combing through the IDNL at noon today to begin their count, including wetland and terrestial plants, birds, amphibians, insects and fish found in Long Lake and Lake Michigan. While pre-registration closed for working with a scientist a week ago, it's possible that openings may still be available on site. To see a list of slots available, visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Field/PDF/bioblitz-general/team-status.pdf.

Even if you are not interested in participating in the species count, consider visiting West Beach anyways, which is considered the Base Camp for the event. Throughout the event there will be talks and live animal demonstrations, exhibitor booths and nature hikes. One highly recommended demonstation is the Bird of Prey live demonstration to be held Saturday at 10:00 a.m. To see a complete schedule for the Bioblitz visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Field/PDF/bioblitz-general/schedule.pdf.

The event will wrap up with a Biodiversity Festival from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Saturday. Scientists will be bringing their findings back to West Beach, a stage will feature musicians and other presentations, such as Professor Oops, a fun presentation
showing the many invisible connections that make up life on our planet.

You may also notice a lot of activity at the South Shore parking lot and at Marina Shores. Thousands of schoolchildren are coming by train from Chicago to the Ogden Dunes station to participate in the event, and Marina Shores is being used as overflow parking for West Beach with free shuttles running to and from the park.

National Geographic conducting a BioBlitz in a different park each year throughout the decade leading up to the U.S. National Park Service Centennial in 2016. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was selected because it is an urban park and is the 5th most biodiverse national park property in the entire nation.

Beach Testing Season Starts May 18

Residents will now be able to learn whether or not it's safe to swim on Saturdays when the 2009 Beach Water Quality Program starts on May 18.

Made possible with an annual grant from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), water samples will be drawn every Monday through Friday -- except Tuesdays -- through September 12, 2009. Results from those samples will be posted Tuesdays through Saturdays, except Wednesdays. Monies from the grant are used to hire a Grant Administrator, a Sampling Technician, and to contract with a laboratory for testing.

For the third year in a row, Polly Costanza has been hired as our official Sampling Technician. You may see her bravely wading into the lake at 7:00 a.m. to grab water samples at three locations along the beach. She then transports the samples to a pre-arranged location in Marquette Park in Gary.

From there our contracted Laboratory, United Water, picks up the samples for analysis. United Water then cultures the samples for 24 hours for E. coli bacteria. Results from the cultured samples are then e-mailed to Karen Berrier, Grant Administrator, who is responsible for determining if a beach is open for swimming, if an advisory should be posted, or if a closure is necessary.

Based on the results and the latest beach conditions (i.e., if there was a heavy rainfall in the past 24-78 hours), Karen then indicates on http:://www.ogdendunes.net/beachconditions.html whether or not the beach is open or if an Advisory or Closure are necessary.

Karen is also responsible for posting the appropriate signage along the accessways and near the Town Hall. IDEM is providing new signage soon that the Town tested for the State of Indiana last summer.

Yellow signs will indicate that an Advisory is posted. In this case, an increased risk of illness may be present based on recent monitoring for E. coli bacteria.

For your safety during an Advisory:

• Swim at your own risk.

• Do not ingest lake water.

• Shower after swimming.

• Wash hands before eating.

• Do not swim if you are ill.

Red Signs will tell the public that the beach is closed to swimming, and that a serious risk of illness may be present.

The ODEAB and Karen Berrier will also be working this summer with resident Dan Manas to finalize and release a video explaining why beach water quality needs to be monitored and how it is accomplished.

Register to Participate in a Bioblitz - Fun for Everyone!

Want to have fun, do good, and be part of something BIG? Public registration is now open for the 2009 Indiana Dunes BioBlitz, sponsored by National Geographic and taking place at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore May 15-16! Base Camp for the event will be at West Beach, and there are lots of opportunities to get involved and have fun.

Enroll yourself and up to five companions to join scientists on species inventory teams in the park. They're fielding teams at a number of locations. (See the map.) It’s fun for the whole family, and it’s free, so don’t miss your chance—sign up now!

Volunteers are also needed to help with BioBlitz logistics at Base Camp and other Indiana Dunes locations. If you can lend a hand for several hours or throughout the event, volunteer today!

BioBlitz is a 24-hour event in which teams of scientists, volunteers and community members join forces to find, identify, and learn about as many local plant and animal species as possible. National Geographic is helping conduct a BioBlitz in a different park each year throughout the decade leading up to the U.S. National Park Service Centennial in 2016. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was selected because it is the 5th most biodiverse national park property in the entire nation. Lucky for us!

Hope to see many of you out there!

Recycling Rate Increases to 33 Percent!

Just a reminder on this Earth Day to reference the Guide to Recycling in Ogden Dunes when you have questions about what and what cannot be recycled. Ever since the Guide was published late last year, the Town's diversion rate has risen from 25 percent to 33 percent at the end of March!

A .pdf of the document may be found on the town website at http://www.ogdendunes.net/images/Guide_to_Recyling_in_Ogden_Dunes.pdf. A special feature is hypertext linking that allows you to jump to the question you want answered.

Would You like to Adopt our Beach?

The ODEAB is looking for a group of residents who would like to participate in the Alliance for the Great Lake’s "Adopt-a-Beach" Program three times per year. This is a great opportunity for friends and families to do something to help the beach, while learning about our most precious resource – Lake Michigan.

All around the Great Lakes, schools, families and community groups have adopted beaches. These groups periodically gather to remove litter, monitor beach health and conduct an at-home water quality test. They then work with the Alliance to log the information onto a website database, which the Alliance uses for pollution prevention advocacy and education.

Some of you may be familiar with this process. For the past several years, Ogden Dunes has been participating in the Annual International Coastal Clean up Day held each September. This program expands that effort in Ogden Dunes to two more times per year, taking place in early and mid-summer, then again in September.

Participants would need to dedicate approximately two hours each visit and would work in pairs to collect and tally litter; and fill out a Routine Visit Report that asks questions about conditions that day such as air temperature, wind direction, time of last rainfall, and other pertinent information.

If you are interesting in joining with this effort, please contact Susan MiHalo at spsmodin@verizon.net or any of the ODEAB members. Once we have a group of dedicated volunteers, we can arrange a training event.

Note: this would not be an effort to clean the entire beach and would not replace overall clean up efforts. It's more of an effort to monitor the state of our beach and track it's condition over time.


For more information on the Alliance for the Great Lakes “Adopt-a-Beach” program, visit http://www.greatlakes.org/Page.aspx?pid=525.

Partcipate in a Garlic Mustard Pull on April 26!

During the town's Clean Up Weekend, April 25-26, join the Ogden Dunes Environmental Advisory Board in a "Garlic Mustard Pull" along the Sand Tracks. Meet at the Tennis Courts on Diana Rd. at 4:00 p.m.

We'll show you how to spot and pull first-year sprouts of this alien biennial invader that crowds out native species and harms the soil. We'll also show you how to properly dispose of it (rather than just throwing on the ground, which really does not help!). The event will officially end at 5:30 p.m. -- that is unless you wish to keep at it!

As you can see from the photos above, first-year and second-year Garlic Mustard looks remarkably different. If you can manage to get most of the first-year sprouts out of the ground, the invasion won't be as bad the next year.

So wear some old clothes and come join us! Gloves and paper bags will be provided.

Ideas for Celebrating Earth Hour

On March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm, tens of millions of people around the world will turn out their lights for one hour — Earth Hour — to demonstrate concern for our living planet and send a loud message to our leaders that they support action on climate change.

Several Ogden Dunes residents have asked for suggestions for things they can specifically do that night. Here are a few ideas for things to do in the dark…by yourself or with others:
1. Enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner with someone special using organic or sustainably grown food items.
2. Invite friends and family over for a "lights-out" party and serve green-themed snacks and drinks—green tea or apple martinis anyone?
3. Turn off the lights and power down the computer and cell phone. Use the quiet time to take a break from a "plugged-in" world by meditating or resting.
4. Take a bubble bath by candlelight.
5. Use the hour for practical tasks that you never seem to have time for. Test essential items in your emergency preparedness kit like flashlights, radios, and cell phones. Change out all your light bulbs to energy-efficient CFLs. Change the batteries in your smoke detectors. Think about how you would evacuate your house in an emergency in the dark.
6. Read a book set in an era without electricity. Marvel that the Romans conquered much of the world without a single cell phone and that Shakespeare wrote masterpieces without a laptop or the Internet.
7. Turn off the computer and write a letter by candlelight the old-fashioned way using pen and paper.
8. Invite friends over to play charades or Scrabble by candlelight.
9. View the night sky via telescope--the reduced "light pollution" may make some stars more visible.
10. Take photos of how you spent Earth Hour and upload them to the Earth Hour pages on Facebook, Myspace and YouTube. Keep it clean please!

Earth Hour is not about how much electricity we can save in one hour. The idea behind Earth Hour is that by working together, each one of us can make a difference on the issue of climate change. By doing something as simple as turning off the lights, we send a visual symbol to the world’s leaders that we are counting on them to work together to find solutions to climate change.

Participate in Earth Hour 2009 on March 28!

The ODEAB announced at the March Town Council meeting that it is officially supporting Earth Hour 2009, a global climate event led by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). More than 240 cities around the world have already committed to go dark for one hour on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m., as tens of millions of people from all corners of the world unite in a call for global action on climate change.

From Amman to Warsaw, city and town skylines will go dark for one hour as individuals, businesses, government buildings, schools and major landmarks turn off non-essential lighting in what will be the largest climate event in history. (Don’t worry: the streetlights will remain on!)

“World Wildlife Fund is pleased that Ogden Dunes is taking part in Earth Hour 2009. As lights go out in cities around the U.S. and the world on March 28th, Earth Hour will provide world leaders with an unmistakable mandate to take action,” said WWF President and CEO Carter Roberts. “The climate crisis threatens the ability of our planet to support its inhabitants. We want the world to know that Americans care about saving the planet and stand united in seeking to find solutions to climate change.”

During Earth Hour 2008, more than 50 million people in 400 cities on all seven continents turned off their lights as major icons also went dark, including the Sydney Opera House, the Coliseum in Rome, Stockholm’s Royal Castle, the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Google turned its homepage black for an entire day in tribute.

We look forward to your participation. Please comment below if you plan to participate, and visit http://www.earthhourus.org/ for more information. Don’t forget to urge your friends and family to participate through email and on Facebook too!

Still Waiting Approval on Dredging Permits

Permits to dredge the Burns Small Boat Harbor and entrance channel are still waiting approval from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and as well the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). The disposal location into the littoral drift or beach also still has yet to be determined.

We will keep you apprised as soon as the permits are approved. A recent article in the Post Tribune indicated that stimulus funding has been appropriated. According to DNR, the earliest any dredging can begin is in July when the fish spawning season ends.

The Town Council has expressed an interest in initiating efforts to install a sand bypass system around the Port of Indiana that would continuously or seasonally pump sand onto the beach from the NIPSCO intake. Previous efforts to pursue this have indicated that this would be an expensive undertaking if it just benefitted Ogden Dunes. However, with the establishment of the Portage Lakefront Site, combined with other factors, more Indiana residents would now benefit from the establishment of such a system.

• If you added up the dollars that need to be spent on dredging yearly in Michigan City, the Port of Indiana and the Burns Small Boat Harbor, you’d realize that a bypass system is not an unreasonable cost.
• In Porter County, a bypass system around the Port of Indiana would save dollars being spent dredging the NIPSCO intake and the Port of Indiana. These are costs that are passed on to all citizens in the coastal area, either through federal taxes or through their NIPSCO bills.
• Having a seriously eroded beach impacts usage of the Ogden Dunes beach as well as the Portage Lakefront site. When the beach is eroded, walkers have difficulty walking the beach all the way to Lake Street in Gary if they chose to do so.
• Sand starvation and erosion affects structures at the Portage Lakefront site taxpayers paid to enjoy. Portage and the National Park will constantly need to monitor and protect the hardened structures on the beach at the Portage Lakefront site.
• There is a cost to the public when homes threaten to fall in – or actually fall in – Lake Michigan. Property values are affected. Beach usage is affected. Taxable property is lost making fewer people bear the tax burden.
• There is also a cost to biodiversity when unnatural material is placed on the beach that can affect ecosystem and dune-building dynamics.
• Finally, there is also a cost associated with placing potentially contaminated sediment on our beaches. That cost is unmeasurable – the cost to human health.

The Town Council is urged by the ODEAB to band with other lakefront communities to convince the Army Corp of Engineers to initiate a study on such a system. A similar study of a bypass system around the Michigan City port area that would benefit Mt. Baldy and Beverly Shores may be released this fall.

Precipitation Running 239% of Normal

“Water, water everywhere – where is it all coming from?” is a common phrase in Ogden Dunes right now. A peek at the Precipitation chart below speaks volumes. (click on image to enlarge it)

For the last three years, precipitation has run ahead of normal. Making matters worse, much of this precipitation has come at times when it can do nothing more than accumulate on the ground or in Long Lake. For example:

• Look at the levels of precipitation received each fall since 2005 – coming at a time when plants are not transpiring and evaporating water into the atmosphere.
• Consider the winter precipitation as well – some as rain on frozen ground – others as snow and ice. For the past three years, we have had above average precip and ice in the winter when there is little or no evaporation.

It all adds up, and then is complicated by a messed up hydrology scientists still don’t fully understand. What we see, and have witnessed, is a cumulative effect of many factors.

Bioblitz Coming in May!

A unique, high-profile event will be held May 15-16, 2009 at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (IDNL) – with West Beach being at the nexus of activities. That's when the IDNL teams up with National Geographic to comb the park, observing and recording as many plant and animal species as possible -- with the help of hundreds, maybe thousands of volunteers and scientists. No experience is required and there will be many different kinds of help needed. (See http://www.nps.gov/indu/supportyourpark/bioblitz2009.htm for more information.) General volunteer sign-ups will begin at the end of March.

National Geographic selected the IDNL because it is the 5th most biodiverse National Park in the country. Many people are surprised to hear that statistic.

If you still don’t understand what a Bioblitz is, take a few minutes to view a video of the one held last year at Santa Monica Mountains National Park:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/specials/in-the-field-specials/santa-monica-bioblitz.html.

Reminder: DNR Hearing Tuesday, Feb. 10, 5:30 p.m.

Residents are reminded to attend the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Public Hearing regarding the Burns Small Boat Harbor dredging project scheduled for February 10, 2009 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Ogden Dunes Firehouse. Several recommendations will be made by the Town regarding the permit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has applied for from DNR to dredge the Burns Small Boat Harbor and entrance to the waterway. The dredgings may be placed on the Ogden Dunes beach or in the littoral drift just off the beach. To see a copy of the Town's letter on the project to DNR, to be presented at the Hearing, visit http://www.ogdendunes.net/images/Position_paper_on_dredging_as_of_1-11-09.pdf.

Residents and the public may also make remarks about the project. Remarks should be limited to the quality of the sediment as opposed to water quality issues that might result from the dredging operation.

You don't necessarily have to speak during the hearing. If you wish you can simply turn in your remarks to the hearing officer.

Town Provides Comments on IDEM Dredging Permit

Potential water quality issues with the Burns Small Boat Harbor dredging project were noted in a recent letter submitted by the Town Council to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), who will be conducting the dredging project, must apply for both IDEM as well as Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) permits.

First of all, as with the DNR permit, the Town believes that if the dredging project results in additional garbage on the beach, USACE should be required to clean up the garbage, according to Indiana laws that do not allow the waters of Lake Michigan to be degraded.

Retesting of the material was also again requested, since the project tests were completed last summer prior to the September flood event. USACE dredging guidelines recommend that dredging projects utilize the most recent data available because major events, such as storms, can cause sediment transport between sites, and can alter the sources and composition of chemicals of potential concern (COPCs) released into the environment over time.

The Town also emphasized the demographics of beach goers, which includes both children and adults who might be exposed to contaminants through their skin or through ingestion over the five-year period of the permit. Contaminants found in the samples, fortunately not in large quantities, included both cancer-causing as well as bioaccumulative chemicals of concern, such as PCBs, Benzene and Toluene.

The letter again emphasized that USACE conduct a debris survey since items such as cans of paint, bottles of lubricant, spray cans, railroad ties, and more are still washing out of the ditch onto the beach.

If the material is retested and found to be safe, the Town would like to have material from the approach and entrance channel of the small boat harbor hydraulically dredged and placed right on the Ogden Dunes beach.

During the dredging and placement of the material, some water quality may be comprimised in the short-term by releases of ammonia and phosphorus. The release of these parameters should still be noted, however, because they can increase algae growth, which is becoming more of a problem on the shallow south end of Lake Michigan. Runaway algae growth can cause fish kills by depleting oxygen in the water; and makes the beach unsightly -- and smelly if it is cladophora algae.

The Town is also requesting that USACE provide some sort of Monitoring Plan to IDEM before the project commences. The Monitoring Plan would tell how the project is being conducted, how much material was dredged and where it was placed, and whether or not water quality was impacted.

The plan might also provide a way of determining if the project should be temporarily suspended after a significant rain event. Rain events can cause temporary large increases in E. coli readings on the beach, as the Town has discovered through its IDEM-funded Beach Monitoring Program conducted
each summer. Unfortunately, Burns Waterway contributes some of the highest loads of E. coli bacteria into Lake Michigan in the
State of Indiana.

Finally, to help minimize impacts on the beach water quality, the Town recommended in the letter that the dredging project commence no earlier than late-July, or even August, of each year.

A copy of the letter to IDEM may be found on http://www.ogdendunes.net/images/Town_of_Ogden_Dunes_letter_on_IDEM_WQC_permit.pdf. ODEM will notify the Town when a final decision is made on the permit.

Dredging Meeting Feb. 10, IDEM Permit Public-Noticed

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Public Hearing regarding the Burns Small Boat Harbor dredging project has been rescheduled for February 10, 2009 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Ogden Dunes Firehouse. Residents are encouraged to attend.

Several recommendations will be made by the Town at a Public Hearing to be held regarding the permit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has applied for from DNR to dredge the Burns Small Boat Harbor and entrance to the waterway. The dredgings may be placed on the Ogden Dunes beach or in the littoral drift just off the beach.

To see a copy of the Town's letter on the project to DNR, to be presented at the Hearing, visit http://www.ogdendunes.net/images/Position_paper_on_dredging_as_of_1-11-09.pdf or see the blog posting below from January 11, 2009 (http://odeab.blogspot.com/2009/01/town-to-air-concerns-at-dnr-hearing-on.html).

USACE also had to apply for a Section 401 Water Quality Certification Permit from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), and that permit is up for public notice as well until February 6. The ODEAB is trying to obtain a copy of the permit application. If you would like to receive a copy, please contact Susan MiHalo at spsmodin@verizon.net. The ODEAB plans to submit a few comments on this permit as well.

IAW Receives Notice of Violation, Starts Lagoon Replacement Project

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) recently issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to Indiana American Water Co. (IAW) for unlawful discharges into Long Lake through the backwash retention pond that sits behind its water filtration plant on Diana Rd. in Ogden Dunes.

More than 82 acres, Long Lake is a state and federally listed wetland of which less than 10 acres are situated in Ogden Dunes. The remaining wetland belongs to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The water in the retention pond (which can be viewed in the photo below) results from IAW backflushing its filters every 24-48 hours, which allegedly releases upwards to 130,000 gallons of water into the enclosure.

According to the NOV: “On April 4, 2007, representatives of IDEM conducted an investigation of a release of an unknown amount of backwash water from the retention pond into Long Lake.” Furthermore, the NOV states that “IDEM’s investigation has also revealed the potential for continuing subsurface discharges from the backwash retention pond to Long Lake due to the fact that the retention pond is uncovered and unlined.”

The ODEAB alleges that subsurface discharges cited in the NOV may be an important contributing factor to the high ground water and surface water levels being experienced on Diana Ct., Diana Rd. and Indian Camp Trail this past three years. Other major contributing factors may include:

• Higher than normal precipitation (more than 250 percent of normal in recent months) this past three years.
• Due to its nature as a swale wetland, there are no surface streams that quickly take the water out of the lake.
• Water seeps slowly underground from the wetland into the aquifer below and possibly into drainage ditches on U.S. 12 and County Line Rd. that have not been maintained in many years. (It should be noted, however, that underground seepage rates and patterns are very difficult to study; and connections to any drainage ditches have not been proven.)
• Some homes in the vicinity of Long Lake and Indian Camp Trail were built on fill that was used to create the subdivision where the Water Filtration Plant is located, known as the 5th Subdivision of Ogden Dunes. Without the fill, those homes would have been in or on the edge of Long Lake.

The cited discharge is unlawful because IAW does not have a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit from IDEM for discharging into Long Lake. A copy of the NOV may be found at (http://www.state.in.us/idem/oe/cause/NOV/18172-W.htm). Unfortunately, however, as provided by Indiana law, an alleged violator may enter into an Agreed Order to resolve the NOV without admitting that the violations occurred. In other words, IAW does not have to admit any fault for the flooding issue.

IAW officials are meeting with IDEM officials on January 27 to discuss the terms of the Agreed Order. The ODEAB has encouraged IDEM to have the Agreed Order include a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) that could potentially fund on-the-ground work to help understand, monitor and alleviate the high ground water problems. There is no guarantee that this will happen; however SEPs can be attractive in that they lower fines paid to IDEM and can result in more benefits to those impacted by the discharge.

The Agreed Order is also an important critical step in making sure that a replacement schedule for the retention pond will be adhered to by IAW, which has been working on engineering and construction plans for replacing the backwash retention pond for more than a year. The facilities are planned to be constructed west of the air monitoring station and electrical substation in the southeast corner of the existing backwash impoundment.

(Click on the photo to enlarge it.)

According to Ken Buczek, PE, Director, Production – IN and MI, IAW, site preparation work for replacing the backwash retention pond with two holding basins has already begun. Residents have reported seeing dump trucks of stone being hauled into the plant and that an excavator appears to be sitting on the south dike.

The stone is being used to construct a road to the job site; and sheet piling will be driven into the ground to prepare the area to be filled. The filled area will hold the backwash holding basins as well as future sludge thickening and dewatering facilities that will be constructed later.

Once the sheet piling is in place, unsuitable soils will be excavated from the area, and a foundation appropriate to the soils will be installed to support the new structures.

Any further construction of the facility must await an approved construction permit to be issued by IDEM. The permit application includes design drawings and specifications, and should be approved within 30 days of submission. IAW’s goal is to complete the new holding basins and have them operating by June 2009.

The ODEAB has asked IDEM to have IAW document what will happen to the old retention pond once it is no longer being used.

Town to Air Concerns at DNR Hearing on Dredging

Several recommendations will be made by the Town at a Public Hearing to be held regarding the permit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has applied for from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to dredge the Burns Small Boat Harbor and entrance to the waterway. The dredgings may be placed on the Ogden Dunes beach or in the littoral drift just off the beach. The Hearing will be held at the Firehouse on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Residents are encouraged to attend.

Recommendations to be aired by the Town include the following:

1. USACE should not be able to leave garbage on the beach: When the Small Boat Harbor and entrance were hydraulically dredged in 2000 and the material was placed east of Ogden Dunes, the material contained shredded aluminum cans, broken glass and other materials. The Town of Ogden Dunes has limited resources to keep its beach free of waste. It should be the responsibility of USACE to make sure any garbage or debris resulting from the dredging operation is cleaned up. It may even be possible that USACE may not be able to leave garbage on the beach, according to Indiana Code 14-28, Article 28, which is the Flood Control Act under which this permit is being regulated. (http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title14/ar28/ch1.html.)

2. Retesting is Requested: During the September 2008 flooding event, more than 331-square miles of floodwater and effluent drained out of Burns Waterway into the Small Boat Harbor and Lake Michigan. The material proposed to be dredged was tested several months before that flooding incident. It is the Town’s position that the material proposed to be dredged should be retested.

Furthermore, the Town recommends that core sample analysis concentrate on the upper strata of the core where contamination is more likely to exist. Conducting sampling in any other manner may not provide an adequate representation of what is contained in what would most likely be stratified sediments.

3. A Debris Survey Should be Conducted: With the amount of debris that is still landing on our beach, including paint cans, whiskey bottles, fishing lures, spray cans and docks, it is strongly recommended that a debris survey be conducted by USACE. This survey will not only benefit the Town, residents, Lake Michigan and the environment, it will also protect USACE’s dredging equipment. These surveys are standard practice in many other dredging operations.

Based on our experiences in 2000 with small debris, it is also recommended that a screen of some sort be placed at the head of the pipe where the sand is pumped onto the beach or into the lake.

4. Direct Beach Placement of Sediment from Management Unit 1 and Annual Documentation Requested: If the material is found to be safe after retesting, the Town requests that the material from Management Unit 1, which includes the approach to as well as the entrance channel to Burns Waterway, be hydraulically piped right onto the beach at the far-east end of Ogden Dunes. A review of USACE reports indicates that this material is low in silty material and contaminants, and may be appropriate for direct beach placement every year of the permit in which dredging is completed.

The Town also recommends that hydraulic dredging be used rather than split-barge dredging. Hydraulic dredging would allow for more refined placement of the material where it is sorely needed. Both forms of dredging are being considered by USACE.

The Town would also like to have some sort of annual documentation indicating how many cubic yards of sediment were dredged and where it was placed.

5. Monitoring Plan Should be Required: Considering the length of this 5-year permit, The Town is also requesting that USACE provide some sort of Monitoring Plan to DNR before the project commences. Monitoring plans are also standard practice in other dredging operations. The Monitoring Plan would tell whether or not the project was completed during the desired time frame, whether or not the material caused any environmental problems or impacts on human health, and whether or not the material actually benefitted the beach. The last point is particularly important since research at Duke University has shown that the wrong kind of sand can erode 10 times faster than native sand. (http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4415)

The plan might also provide evaluation criteria for determining if the project should be temporarily suspended after a significant rain event. Rain events can cause temporary increases in E. coli readings on the beach, as the Town has discovered through its IDEM-funded Beach Monitoring Program conducted each summer. According to the Lake Michigan Shoreline Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for E. coli Bacteria, released by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management in 2004:

“Recent research along the Lake Michigan shoreline has also found that E. coli can survive for extended periods of time in beach sands and algae. A study published in August 2003 found that E. coli survived for over six months in sun-dried algal mats stored at 4°C and readily grew upon rehydration (Whitman et al., 2003). Similar research indicates that E. coli can survive for extended periods in beach sands (Whitman et al., 2001). These findings suggest that algae and beach sands can be a secondary habitat for E. coli and could potentially influence water quality along the shoreline when swimmers or wave action might release E. coli into the water column.” (http://www.epa.gov/waters/tmdldocs/10883_lkmichtmdl%5B1%5D.pdf)

6. Long-Lasting Solutions Needed: The Town is also requesting that more long-lasting solutions be found to ameliorate sedimentation in the Burns Waterway as well as erosion problems on the Ogden Dunes beach.

Work is needed to stabilize the banks of the Little Calumet River West and East Branches -- and the Burns Waterway -- after the September rain event. And more effective buffer areas are needed to prevent excess sediment from entering the waterway.

While dredged sand from Burns Waterway will always be needed for beach nourishment, a more effective solution would be the installation of a bypass piping system that would continually move sand from the NIPSCO intake to the Ogden Dunes beach.

These positions were developed with the assistance of the Ogden Dunes Environmental Advisory Board (ODEAB) and several residents. Susan MiHalo would like to thank Bob Cattani, Randi Light, Gerry Lehmann, Ursula Henkel and John Morris for their assistance. To prepare these statements, USACE reports were reviewed, including pages containing a chemical analysis of the material; plus Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) standards that provide guidance on evaluating whether or not the material is safe for placement on land. (http://www.in.gov/idem/4198.htm) Unfortunately, there are no standards for specifically assessing the quality of material for beach placement.

Additional comments may surface for the permit USACE needs to obtain from IDEM that will be public-noticed soon. The IDEM permit governs water quality issues, whereas the DNR permit focuses more on sediment impacts on property, safety and the environment. We will let you know as soon as water quality permit is posted on the IDEM website. No public hearing will need to be requested for that permit.

If you wish to submit comments on the DNR permit, comments should be addressed to:

Mr. Michael W. Neyer, P.E.
Director, Division of Water
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Room W264
402 West Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

RE: Application #’s: FW-25073 and LM-163

Written and/or verbal comments may be provided on Tuesday evening. It is recommended that if you plan to speak you provide a written statement as well. Emailed comments may be sent to mshepherdson@dnr.IN.gov.

Public Hearing Scheduled in OD on Dredging Project

After a request by the Town of Ogden Dunes and a number of its residents, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has agreed to schedule a Public Hearing in Ogden Dunes regarding the dredging of the Burns Small Boat Harbor and placement of the material to nourish the Ogden Dunes beach. The Hearing will be held on Tuesday, January 13 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Firehouse.

Residents petitioned for the hearing for several reasons:
1. The permit to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) by DNR will be effective for five years. Once the permit is approved, it becomes very difficult to make changes on the project or challenge it if there are issues or concerns.

2. Some residents have expressed concern about the quality of the sand that was hydraulically dredged and placed on our beach in 2000. The sand was very silty and contained a great deal of shredded aluminum cans, glass and other garbage.

3. DNR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) did not involve the Town in any preliminary discussions about this project. Requesting the Hearing was our only way to allow public opinion to be expressed on the plan to place the dredged material on the Ogden Dunes beach.

4. Residents (and the National Park Service) have expressed concern that the material proposed to be dredged was tested in April 2008 prior to the September 2008 storm event that flooded Northwest Indiana and caused a disaster on the Ogden Dunes beach. Contaminants and other debris may be in the Burns Small Boat Harbor and channel that were not there previously.

Recognizing that erosion is again becoming problematic on the far-east end of Ogden Dunes, the Ogden Dunes Environmental Advisory Board (ODEAB) is certainly not looking to deny acceptance of the material. Nevertheless, it behooves us to make sure residents will be getting material that is clean and suited for our beach. Research at Duke University in North Carolina has shown that material that is too small or the wrong shape can erode 10 times faster than native sand. Furthermore, we simply cannot take that attitude that "what we don't know won't harm us."










The project also needs careful review because there are actually several areas that will be dredged as noted on the photo above: the entrance channel, the channel and the small boat harbor of refuge. Each area has different types of materials and amounts of chemical parameters in them.

Another reason to express our opinion is our current experience with the NIPSCO Intake sand that is being placed in the littoral drift by the split barge this past two summers. While areas on the west end of the beach are still showing vegetated foredunes, the foredunes and accreted sand have virtually washed away on the east end of Town. We need to make sure that the dredge on this project will place the material where it will be most beneficial.

The ODEAB met Tuesday, January 6 to share their research and begin preparing positions for presentation at the Hearing. If you are interested in seeing the back up materials, such as the Contaminant Determination conducted by USACE, please visit http://www.ogdendunes.net/. Materials should be on there soon.

We hope that you will consider participating in the Hearing. If you wish to make a statement, bring two written copies: one to hand to DNR officials and the other to give to any press that might be there. If you are uncomfortable making a public statement, DNR will accept just written comments as well.

USACE will also need an Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Section 401 Water Quality Certification Permit before the project can proceed. We will let you know when that permit is posted on http://www.in.gov/idem/4400.htm#2008-568-26-JWR-A.

The earliest the dredging can begin is July 2009. However, it should be noted that USACE is still lining up federal funding for the project.