2022SummerMagazine_Web

INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENT IN HARMONY
>> redevelopment entities –
assess, sample, and remediate
any potential environmental
issues. “We’ve done several
projects where sites were an old
dry cleaner in the ‘50s,” stated
Palm. “That’s a big one because
of the chemicals they use to clean
the clothing,” added Stevenson.
“Because it’s a solvent, it basically
will dissolve anything in its way.
It’ll decrease in concentration
as it moves farther away from
the source, but if the source is
still there, then it’s still pumping
into the ground,” said Palm. One
time, they found solvents in the
soil and groundwater about a
mile away from a dry cleaner in
Michigan City.
Environmental Incorporated
helps reduce industry’s impact
on the environment by helping
organizations make smart,
environmentally conscious
decisions at any stage of their
project. “Generally, our focus
is to leave a site better than we
found it so there are options
for the land to be reused,” said
Palm. For example, Stevenson
shared a story about a site they
assessed and cleaned up to
become “not only a wetlands
area, but also useful for flood
control and recreation.” Acting
as mediators between industry
and environment, Environmental
Incorporated, from Palm’s
perspective, is “doing good
things for the environment” and
is an “industry advocate, too”.
Sustainable Practices
for Farmers and
Landowners Through
Partnership
Shirley Heinze Land Trust
is a non-profit organization
dedicated to the preservation
and restoration of significant
natural areas throughout
Northwest Indiana. Currently,
2,700 acres are permanently
protected and managed
throughout Lake, Porter, Starke,
Marshall, and St. Joseph
counties. Over the past few
years, Shirley Heinze Land Trust
has begun having conversations
with farmers and landowners
about sustainable farming and
land management practices.
Alicia Pellegrino, Project
Manager at Shirley Heinze
Land Trust, said, “There is a lot
of opportunity to partner with
farmers and landowners about
how conservation and farming
can achieve mutual goals.”
Shirley Heinze Land Trust is
building partnerships with
farmers, landowners, and
partner organizations, such as
Porter County Soil and Water
Conservation District, Indiana
Department of Agriculture,
and Northwest Indiana Food
Council, to collaborate on land
management, legacy planning,
and conservation efforts.
“Farming and conservation
practices complement each other
in a variety of ways,” elaborated
Pellegrino. One way is soil health
and water management. Crop
production and soil health are
reliant on the nutrients that have
been applied or are already in
the soil staying put. Water can
cause sediment and nutrients to
run off, leaving the soil depleted
and affecting water quality.
“Farmers want those nutrients to
remain in the soil, and we don’t
want them in the water. So, it’s
mutually beneficial to think about
soil health,” said Pellegrino.
In addition, these efforts can
help water quality and quantity
management.
Environment and
Industry Can Work
Hand-in-Hand
Northwest Indiana is truly unique.
Diverse ecosystems thrive in
close proximity to a variety of
industrial and farming activities.
Pellegrino noted, “It’s just a really
interesting place to work from an
environmental perspective.” So,
can environment and industry
really exist in harmony? It’s
a work in progress, but with
Environmental Incorporated
and Shirley Heinze Land Trust as
available resources, there’s good
reason to be optimistic.
There is a lot of opportunity to partner
with landowners... to achieve mutual
goals... Farming and conservation
practices complement each other [to
ensure soil health and help water
management.]"
—Alicia Pellegrino
Project Manager at Shirley Heinze Land Trust
16 VALPARAISO MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022