In addition to the steel mills in the area, other heavy industries were drawn to the Calumet region by the convenient transportation opportunities provided by the Calumet River and its access to Lake Michigan.contributing to the economy and at the same time contributing to the environmental damage that was occurring in the area. 

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State Line Generating Station

The State Line Generating Station is a coal burning plant . It is located on the shores of Lake Michigan near 106th Street and because of this the environment received incredible damage. For a time and to a lesser extent at present it still operates as a major coal burning power plant . Since the Generating Station is located near Lake Michigan, the plant found it easiest to just dump their waste in the waters . For years they had dumped waste that came from coal burning power plants right in the plant itself. In recent years this plant has opted to put a control on the waste put into the waters. They, along with other plants in the area, have set certain limitations on the wastes deposited in the lake itself. The picture above shows that this plant is built on fill extending into the lake. Outside the plant is the State Line Boundary Marker, probably the oldest monument in the Chicago area. It was placed on the state line in 1833 and it was restored and moved in front of the power plant in 1989. The letters on the original monument have been worn off over the years, probably, in part, due to acid rain which is partially caused by the emissions from burning coal.