Harris celebrates passage of bill that will help clean up Calumet River

Senate Bill 412 passed through the House of Representatives today, with language added to the bill which would allow for the Calumet River to be cleaned up. State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago), a House sponsor of the bill and whose district includes the river bank, today offered the following statement regarding the passage of the bill:

“This bill will give us the ability to enhance the Calumet River, which has been neglected. One of the most polluted bodies of water in our state, cleaning up the river and its bank will not only help our local environment, it will enhance public health and hopefully our local economy by bringing more businesses and people to East Chicago and northwestern Indiana.

“As a longtime champion for environmentalism and as a resident of East Chicago, I am very proud to be a House sponsor of this bill. Cleaning up the Calumet River is a great step in revitalizing northwestern Indiana for years to come, and I'm excited to watch the project come to fruition.”