EPA Seeks Comments on Cleanup Plan for Amphenol/Franklin Power Products Site in Franklin, Indiana
Public comment period ends July 1; an in-person public meeting and hearing will be held Thursday, June 9 from 6-9 p.m.
CHICAGO (May 18, 2022) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began a 45-day public comment period on a cleanup plan for contamination remaining in the groundwater and soil at the Amphenol/Franklin Power Products, Inc. site in Franklin, Indiana. EPA will be available at an in-person meeting to answer questions on Thursday, June 9 at Franklin City Hall. A formal public hearing, where residents are invited to provide comment on record, will follow.
During a prior investigation, EPA determined a former owner and operator of the site released volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and other chemicals into the environment, which resulted in the migration of contamination outside of property boundaries. In 2018, concerns were raised to EPA and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, or IDEM, about VOCs such as trichloroethylene, or TCE, and tetrachloroethene, or PCE, getting into homes near the site in Franklin. An investigation was reopened, and vapor intrusion was confirmed. Actions were then taken to address the exposure to vapor intrusion within homes, including the installation of seven vapor mitigation systems and the repair of nine property’s plumbing systems. The additional remediation actions outlined in the cleanup plan, or Statement of Basis, are necessary to reduce on-site and off-site VOCs in groundwater and soil to safe levels.
EPA will make its plan final only after reviewing and responding to all comments. The cleanup plan may be modified based on new information or public comments, so your opinion is important.
The 45-day public comment period begins on May 18 and closes on July 1. Written comments, either online or by email, will be accepted any time during the comment period. Written comments submitted by mail must be postmarked by July 1. Comments submitted by phone will be accepted through the last day of the comment period. The public may submit comments:
Online: EPA online comment form
Via Email: safakas.kirstin@epa.gov
By Mail: Kirstin Safakas, Community Involvement Coordinator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5
77 W. Jackson Blvd. Mail Code EC-19J, Chicago, IL 60604
By Phone: 312-919-4621 (Leave a voice message after the prompt)
In-person: Thursday, June 9, 2022 from 7-9 p.m. at Franklin City Hall, 70 E. Monroe St., Franklin, Indiana
Please visit the Amphenol website for more information about the public comment period and the in-person meeting. COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed during the event, which are subject to change without notice.
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