Region 5 Superfund (SF)

U.S. EPA REGION 5
LA PORTE COUNTY
LA PORTE

Congressional District # 2

FISHER-CALO

EPA ID# IND074315896
Last Updated: November, 2007

Site Description

The Fisher-Calo site is located in the Kingsbury Industrial Park (KIDP) in La Porte County, Indiana. The KIDP is located in the southeast section of La Porte County, approximately 12 miles southeast of La Porte, Indiana. The Fisher-Calo site is located on three areas at KIDP: the One-line Road property, the Two-line Road property, and the Space Leasing property. The site is a former industrial chemical processing and distribution facility. The facility is located in an area that previously housed the Kingsbury Ordnance Plant, a U.S. government installation used to manufacture military ordnance.

In the early 1960s, the ordnance plant was closed, and the land was purchased by a private developer who subdivided the property to form an industrial park. Fisher-Calo and various subsidiaries began operations at KIDP in the early 1970s. The site facilities were used for processing and distributing solvents, metal finishing supplies, and other industrial chemicals. Fisher-Calo also operated a solvent reclamation facility on the site for several years to recover and resell paint and metal cleaning solvents. Chemical wastes were either stored in metal drums and buried, or stockpiled on the site, or the wastes were disposed of directly on the ground.

In 1978, a fire broke out at the site's solvent reclamation facility, destroying several bulk storage tanks, trucks, and drums of chemical wastes and solvents. Later that year, buried drums were discovered on the property. In 1979 and 1980, drums containing chemicals and sludges were removed from the site. Waste materials, mostly still bottoms were stored in drums, tanks, and containers at the site. Some of the drums were reportedly leaking. The site is fenced and isolated. Approximately 3,700 people live within four miles of the site. The nearest public water supply well is located within one mile of the site, and the closest residence, using groundwater as a water source, is located approximately one mile from the site.

Site Responsibility

This site is being addressed through federal, state, and potentially responsible parties' actions.

Threats and Contaminants

Onsite groundwater and soils were contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The greatest health risk to people is through ingesting contaminated groundwater.

Cleanup Progress

A Record of Decision (ROD) was signed for the Fisher-Calo site in August 1990, a Consent Decree was entered in US District Court in February 1992, and a ROD Amendment was signed in September 1997. The components of the remedy include the excavation and offsite disposal of buried drums in two separate areas; the excavation and offsite disposal of PCB-contaminated soils; soil vapor extraction in areas contaminated with VOCs; enhanced soil vapor extraction in areas contaminated with both VOCs and semi-VOCs; and a groundwater pump and treatment system for four different plume areas. The excavation of the approximately 3,600 buried drums was completed in April 1994. The consolidation and offsite disposal of the excavated drums took place in late 1995 and January 1996. Excavation and offsite disposal of PCB contaminated soils took place in December 1995 and January 1996. Construction of the groundwater pump and treatment system began in July 1997 and was completed in February 1998. Construction of the soil remedy system began in the beginning of 1998 and was completed in May 1998. The site is currently in operation & maintenance.  A five-year review was completed in September 2000 and found that the remedy remains protective of human health and the environment.  The soil remedy system program was completed in October 2003.  A second five-year review was completed in September 2005 and found that the remedy continues to remain protective of human health and the environment.

Contacts

Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPA
sheri bianchin (bianchin.sheri@epa.gov)
(312) 886-4745

Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA
dave novak
(312) 886-7478

Aliases

NEW PLANT LIFE
FISHER CALO
FISHER CALO CHEM

 

Site Profile Information

This profile provides you with information on EPA's cleanup progress at this Superfund site.