Is Gary Turning Lake Michigan into a Sewer?

"GARY -- Over the past three years, the Gary Sanitary District has discharged at least 6.8 billion gallons of raw and partially treated sewage to the bacteria-impaired Grand Calumet River and the flood-prone Little Calumet River, according to a Post-Tribune analysis of state data.

And there's no end in sight. Neither the state or federal government has set a deadline for Gary to reduce its overflows and treatment bypasses.

The federal government says it's negotiating a legal agreement with Gary, but hasn't reached one since it started trying five years ago. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management hasn't issued a single fine against the district for its more than 600 combined sewer overflows and bypasses since 2008.

Henry Henderson, Midwest director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the system 'seems set up to allow perpetual overflows.'"

Gitte Laasby reports for the Gary Post-Tribune January 30, 2011.