News Releases from Region 05

EPA announces $26.6 million cleanup at former DuPont/Chemours plant in East Chicago

For Immediate Release    No. 18-OPA36

CHICAGO (July 20, 2018) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $26.6 million final plan to clean up soil tainted with arsenic, lead, zinc, and cadmium at the former DuPont/Chemours chemical manufacturing plant at 5215 Kennedy Ave., East Chicago, Ind. The plant is located south of Zone 3 of the USS Lead Superfund site, a residential area where a separate federal cleanup is currently in progress.

“The cleanup at the former DuPont/Chemours plant helps pave the way for redevelopment opportunities in East Chicago that will bring jobs and economic growth to the community,” said EPA Regional Administrator Cathy Stepp.

Following a more than 90-day public comment period on the agency’s proposed cleanup plan and a thorough review of 200 comments, EPA revised its plan to require that all excavated contaminated soil be disposed of off-site. Groundwater treatment, closing the solid waste landfill, long-term monitoring, and maintenance are also required. 

EPA will continue to work closely with the current and former site owners to assure that the cleanup proceeds as prescribed under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act corrective action order. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources maintains a 172-acre natural area on-site which was cleaned up under a separate corrective action in 2014. 

EPA will hold a community meeting on Saturday, Sept. 15 to discuss the cleanup. The decision document, response-to-comments summary, and other information are online at https://www.epa.gov/in/hazardous-waste-cleanup-dupont-facility-east-chicago-indiana

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