Bubbly Creek
Toxic industrial waste area
Bubbly Creek stands as a tenacious example of the importance of regulation. Once a wetland, channels were dredged through to expand the South Fork of the Chicago River in the 19th century, to accommodate for the rapid population growth. The meatpacking businesses in the Union Stock Yards located at the end of the manmade creek felt that the waterway was the perfect spot to dump their putrid waste, filling the waters with the stinking blood, entrails, and various chemical wastes of their trade.
The amount of waste contaminating the creek began to bubble from the decomposition into a frothing pool of methane and hydrogen sulfide gas. It eventually got to the point where a layer of black tar-like sludge rose to the surface, thick enough to walk on in some parts. These putrid, toxic, floating sludge-bergs caught fire multiple times, and most disgustingly, were part of a scheme by some harebrained entrepreneurs, to harvest and sell the lard-like residue for profit
Largely stagnant, the creek poses unusual challenges, but the City of Chicago and the Army Corps of Engineers are still considering restoration options, many involving restoring an oxygenated ecosystem by installing wetlands and injecting compressed air into the brackish waters.
Type
Refinery / Industrial complex