Region's sewer: Grand Cal faces long recuperation

The Grand Calumet River has the most problems of any river in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Cleanup has progressed slowly since the river was designated as one of the nation's worst in 1987. Locals say it could take several decades before the river is restored to its pre-industrial state and can be a source of recreation for region residents, but several proposals are in the works. Historically, industry and municipalities in the region used the river as a sewer for their waste. For about a century, steel mills and treatment plants have spewed untold amounts of heavy metals, pesticides, bacteria and pollutants that can cause cancer in humans into the river.