I am surprised that there are not elevated levels of arsenic, hexavalent chrome, selenium, and some other toxic metals present in the fish considering the discharges of the mills and power plants going into the lake. With a south wind all the fly ash generated that doesn't get scrubbed would wind up in the wind polluting even more. Just working in the power plants for 15 or so years I got arsenic poisoning.
The hexavalent chrome was the worst one Don. In the old days if they had a spill in the basement from a broken line they pumped it through to the treament plant. Which in return on night sifts would open up and pump alot of it out to the ditch. Feds finally put in equipment for checks to stop the practice. But at times it was still costly to shut a line down, so it was again pumped into the ditch and National paid the fine. When the fines became serious enough then they did work on the treatment plant and put in a large holding tank that held it till treated properly.
Lots of concerns with industrial pollutants in our area.
It's a hot topic because historically Indiana has long put business ahead of the environment. For example, BP has long been allowed to greatly exceed federal mercury standards, and other suspended solids they discharge into the lake.
The history of pollution and industry is an ugly and sobering reminder of all the progress we've made, but also how it could have been avoided.
PCBs in particular were long known (since the 1930s) to cause immense health problems, and there is a very long history of putting business interests far ahead of worker safety or environmental safety.
The South End provides useful resources and discussion forums for those that fish The South End of Lake Michigan for Salmon, Steelhead, Perch, and Bass as well as elsewhere in the Region and Chicago area.