Continental Steel

Site Description

Continental Steel Corporation produced nails, wire, and wire fence from scrap steel from 1914 through 1986. Located in Kokomo, IN, (population 46,000), the 183-acre site is in a mixed residential, commercial, and industrial area. The steel manufacturing operations at this plant included the use, handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials. After the company filed for bankruptcy in 1986, US EPA and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) found soil, sediments, surface water and ground water contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and several metals, including lead, on or near the site. Lead contamination has been detected in residential soils. The closest residents to the plant are within 100 feet east of the property, and a public recreation area, Highland Park, lies immediately adjacent to the property.

The site is divided into six operable units (OUs), or cleanup projects including: Site-wide Groundwater (OU1); Lagoon Area (OU2); Wildcat and Kokomo Creeks (OU3); Markland Avenue Quarry (OU4); Main Plant (OU5); and Slag Processing Area (OU6). Funding in FY2003 was requested for Markland Avenue Quarry (OU4), Main Plant (OU5), and Lagoon Area (OU2).

Current Site Status and Cleanup Actions to Date

• As of June 2003, USEPA and IDEM have spent nearly $60 million to limit human and environmental exposure at the site.
• From 1990 through 1994, USEPA's Emergency Response Program removed 2,450 buried drums, 1,250 cubic yards of contaminated soil, 90 cubic yards of lead dust, 121 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated material, 2,284 tons of solidified oil, over 200 chemicals from a metallurgical laboratory, and recycled over 65,000 gallons of oil.
• In June 1997, IDEM and USEPA's Emergency Response Program returned to the site to excavate and dispose of lead-contaminated soil found in a residential area adjacent to the site. IDEM also conducted a large-scale interim remedial action at the Main Plant area, that decontaminated and demolished all remaining buildings. This work was completed in 2000.
• In September 1998, IDEM and USEPA announced the long-term cleanup plan for the site. The plan includes remedies for contaminated lagoon sludges, soils, sediments and groundwater that addresses the unacceptable long-term risks remaining at the site.
• The community surrounding the site has been kept informed of the work being done at the site. EPA has held public availability sessions and public meetings in order to get community input on the cleanup. In addition, numerous fact sheets have been distributed to the community on the cleanup status. Community participation and acceptance of the work being done by EPA is high.
• While a long-term monitoring program is not currently in place at the site, EPA and IDEM continued to perform surveys and studies during the remedial design stage to ensure the health and safety of the residents living near the site is maintained. An example of this effort is the air sampling survey conducted on four homes near the Markland Avenue Quarry, which was conducted June 16-19, 2003. Approximately 23 soil-gas samples and four air samples from basements of nearby homes were taken. The purpose of the air sampling is to determine if contaminants from the site are migrating, off-site via soil or groundwater and potentially causing harm to the nearby community.
• By the end of 2003, EPA will have completed developing the final cleanup plans for all six OUs at the site.
• EPA continues to monitor the site to ensure there is no immediate threat to human health or the environment pending the start of long-term cleanup work.

Current Funding Status

• Approximately $60 million has been spent on this project as of May 31, 2003.
• EPA's actions taken to date have considerably lessened the potential for human health or environmental exposure. EPA has determined that this site does not pose an immediate threat to human health, and will continue to monitor this site for any changes that may trigger additional action. EPA will consider funding new work at this site in Fiscal Year 2004.

For more information on this site, please read the Fact Sheet on the Region 5 Superfund Web site.

Key Accomplishments