Saturday, November 24, 2007

Great Lakes Commission Advisor Newsletter Available

Nov 9: The current issue of the Advisor, the Great Lakes Commission newsletter, is now available online. Highlights of the current issue include: What's causing low levels on the Upper Lakes?; Recommitting to the GLRC; 2007 Annual Meeting coverage; Exploring new strategies for maintaining coastal infrastructure; and Perspectives: Making the Great Lakes a national priority.

Access the latest Advisor Newsletter (click here). Access links to previous issues (click here).

Hearing On U.S. Steel NPDES Permit Set For December 11

Nov 9: U.S. EPA Region 5 announced that it will hold a public hearing on December 11 at Indiana University Northwest on the draft wastewater permit for U.S. Steel Corp. Gary Works developed by Indiana Department of Environmental Management [See WIMS 11/2/007]. EPA Regional Administrator Mary Gade will chair the hearing. The purpose of the hearing is to listen to comments about EPA's objections to the draft permit. Comments will also be accepted on aspects of the draft permit not addressed by the objections. Written and oral comments will be accepted following a brief presentation by EPA. Comments may also be submitted in writing between November 9 and December 28, 2007.

The hearing will take place at Indiana University Northwest, Savannah Auditorium, 3400 Broadway Ave., Gary, from 3 to 5 PM, and 6 to 8:30 PM. Advertisements announcing the hearing will be published November. 9 in the Gary Post-Tribune, Northwest Indiana Times, Chicago Sun-Times and St. Joseph, Mich., Herald Palladium newspapers. The permit is for the steel mill to discharge into Lake Michigan, via the Grand Calumet River and Stockton Pond. The facility is the largest fully integrated steel mill in the U.S.

Access a release from EPA with details on submitting comments (click here). Access more information about the hearing, the draft permit and EPA's objections (click here). Access extensive information from IDEM on the permit (click here).