Parks Group Calls on EPA to Hold Polluter Accountable

Statement by Lynn McClure, Midwest Senior Director for National Parks Conservation Association

“It is encouraging to see today’s announcement of a legal challenge against U.S. Steel for repeated violations of the Clean Water Act. This is strong action taken to protect Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Lake Michigan. The April chemical spill of hexavalent chromium at U.S. Steel’s Midwest plant released nearly 600 times the maximum daily limit, closing beaches at Indiana Dunes and putting public health and fragile park resources at risk.”

“When Congress established Indiana Dunes it also created the Port of Indiana to foster industrial growth. Preserving the rich biodiversity at Indiana Dunes and protecting the park’s more than two million annual visitors is nearly impossible if adjacent industry is allowed to dump toxic chemicals unchecked into park waters. There is no telling what the long-term impacts will be for the community or the park from this year’s spill, which makes the role of the Environmental Protection Agency critical to the clean-up effort.

“Thanks to Surfrider Foundation and Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Chicago, we now know the extent to which pollution and negligence is putting this national park at risk. We strongly encourage EPA to enforce the Clean Water Act, which has protected our nation’s streams, wetlands, lakes and rivers for 45 years, hold U.S. Steel accountable and protect the health of our national park, its waters, visitors and wildlife.”

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About National Parks Conservation Association Since 1919, the nonpartisan NPCA has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than one million supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.