Cleanup at Zone 1 of the USS Lead Superfund Site in East Chicago, Indiana Begins this Summer
Agency will discuss plans, answer questions at public meeting on May 10
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting on May 10 to discuss the upcoming cleanup of Zone 1 of the USS Lead Superfund site which encompasses the now-demolished West Calumet Housing Complex, a portion of Goodman Park and a utility corridor in East Chicago, Indiana. Cleanup begins this summer and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Under EPA’s supervision, Industrial Development Advantage of East Chicago (IDA) will remove more than 100,000 tons of contaminated soil from Zone 1 and replace it with clean fill. The agency will require IDA to continuously monitor air quality to ensure that dust from the excavation remains controlled on-site. EPA will have a representative on-site during cleanup activities to ensure compliance with approved plans. IDA will dispose contaminated soil at a permitted facility off-site. During cleanup, locals can expect more truck traffic at the intersection of 151st Street and Kennedy Avenue.
The USS Lead Superfund site was the former U.S. Smelter and Lead Refinery Inc. facility, which processed and refined metals, including lead. Later a secondary smelter operated at the site, recovering lead from scrap metal and automotive batteries. Other facilities in the area also emitted lead and arsenic into air. These facilities’ operations contaminated soil and groundwater at portions of the site with metals such as lead and arsenic.
EPA staff will answer questions from community members and the public at the May 10 public meeting. In this meeting, EPA and IDA will present the soil cleanup designs, explain how they plan on removing the contaminated soil and lay out safety measures designed to protect neighboring residents.
When: Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Time: 5 – 7 p.m.
Where: Old Carrie Gosch School Auditorium
455 E. 148th St., East Chicago
For more information about the USS Lead Superfund site, please visit EPA’s website.