Social Stratification, The Hudson Estuary, and The Grand Calumet River

The Grand Calumet River is a 13-mile industrial sewer of toxic poison that flows into Lake Michigan, south of Chicago. It contains five Superfund sites, and several other EPA CERCLA cleanup arrangements with polluting companies. It encompasses an economically depressed area of three cities—Calumet City, East Chicago, and Gary Indiana—with little resident-citizen involvement in its restoration. The EPA, state agencies, and other private institutions are, however, pursuing environmental restorations despite significant problems. They are remediating areas of toxic sediment and restoring natural habitat. These efforts are both necessary and heroic in extent and importance. The Hudson Estuary is also in great need for rehabilitation, which is being addressed through the US “National Estuary Program.” The New York City and Northern New Jersey metropolitan areas have significant poverty and wealth stratification which results in the impacts of environmental degradation disproportionately affecting lower strata. These impacts are partly being addressed through access developments and other aspects of restoration. Citizen involvements are significantly large for this restoration where the efforts are extraordinarily complex and massive.