Congressman Visclosky announced today that the Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) has awarded a grant for the City of East Chicago.
The $175,000 grant will install green infrastructure at Jeorse Park to reduce stormwater runoff and filter contaminants before they reach Lake Michigan. According to the EPA, the new instillations will prevent over 290,000 gallons of unfiltered runoff from reaching Lake Michigan. The GLRI was established in 2010 as a way to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the largest system of fresh surface water in the world.
Congressman Pete Visclosky stated, “I believe that Lake Michigan is one of the most valuable natural assets of Northwest Indiana, and we must do all that we can to protect it. I commend the City of East Chicago for successfully obtaining this federal funding that will protect our essential shoreline for current residents and the next generation. ”
For additional information on the GLRI, click here.