Noting the potential for environmental hazards, the Village Board this week established a special commission to monitor activity at Lucas Berg Pit.
Village President Edward Guzdziol was notified several months ago that the Army Corps of Engineers plans to dredge the Calumet Sag Canal and store the spoils in the pit, which is at the southwest end of the village.
“I’m responsible for the health and welfare of the village,” Guzdziol said. “I can’t think of a more detrimental effect on our residents than to pile that stuff and all its pollutants and leave it to dry and blow all over the village.”
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District owns the pit, which was established about 20 years ago, he said, as a site to dump spoil dredged from the canal.
The newly appointed commission, which includes a doctor, a nurse and a resident knowledgeable about the pit, will work to discourage storing the dredged material in the pit.
