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USS Lead Superfund Site

The USS Lead Superfund site is located in East Chicago, Indiana. The site includes part of the former USS Lead facility along with nearby commercial, municipal and residential areas.  The primary contaminants of concern are lead and arsenic. The USS Lead site was listed on the National Priorities List of the worst contaminated sites in the country in 2009. The Superfund site is broken into two Operable Units. The first, OU1, has been divided into three zones. These zones include a public housing complex and residential properties. OU2 includes soil at the former USS Lead facility, as well as groundwater beneath both that facility and the residential neighborhoods. 

About the Site

  • Background
  • Photo Gallery
  • Sampling Data Maps
  • Zone 1 Soil Sampling Results Viewer

Advice for Residents

  • Learn about Lead
  • Lead at Superfund Sites
  • Arsenic Information from Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

Key Documents

  • NPL Partial Deletion Docket
  • Public Outreach Documents
  • Technical and Legal Documents
  • Administrative Records

Cleanup Activities

  • Operable Unit 1, Zone 1: West Calumet Housing Complex
  • Operable Unit 1, Zone 2
  • Operable Unit 1, Zone 3
  • Operable Unit 2

Latest News

EPA Seeks Comments on Agreements on Zone 1

On May 4, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will begin a 30-day public comment period on two proposed agreements and a draft document concerning the cleanup of the former West Calumet Housing Complex property in Zone 1 of the USS Lead Superfund site in East Chicago, Indiana. 
EPA seeks comments on a prospective purchaser agreement, or PPA. The PPA requires Industrial Development Advantage, the buyer of the former housing complex property, to clean up the property in a way that meets EPA requirements. EPA and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management will oversee the cleanup.

EPA also seeks comments on an administrative settlement agreement and order on consent, or ASAOC. The ASAOC requires parties potentially responsible for the contamination to provide financial assurance for the Zone 1 cleanup and reimburse EPA for $18 million in past cleanup costs primarily associated with Zone 3.  

In addition, EPA is accepting comments on an explanation of significant differences, or ESD. The ESD document confirms that certain conditions have been met and the former housing complex property will be cleaned up to EPA-specified industrial standards. The property has been rezoned by the City of East Chicago as industrial and will soon be purchased by an industrial developer. The draft ESD will be finalized when the buyer obtains the title to the former housing complex property. Work is expected to begin shortly thereafter.
The proposed agreements, draft ESD and a fact sheet that explains the documents are available at the following links:

  • U.S. EPA Fact Sheet: EPA Seeks Comments on Agreements on Zone 1 (PDF) (2 pp, 193.78 KB)
  • (En Español) Hoja Informativa de US EPA: La EPA Propone Acuerdos Administrativos, Zona 1 (PDF) (2 pp, 159.99 KB)
  • Proposed ASAOC: Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent for Payment of Certain Operable Unit 1 Response Costs and for Providing Financial Assurance Associated with Prospective Purchaser Agreement for Remedial Design and Remedial Action at Modified Zone 1 (PDF) (59 pp, 5.59 MB)
  • Proposed PPA: Administrative Settlement Agreement for Remedial Action By Prospective Purchaser (PDF) (75 pp, 4.72 MB)
  • Draft ESD: Second Explanation Of Significant Differences - USS Lead Superfund Site Zone 1 - Draft For Public Comment Purposes (PDF)(13 pp, 802.45 KB)

How to submit comments

The comment period is open from May 4, 2022, to June 3, 2022. There are several ways to submit comments on both proposed administrative settlements and the draft ESD:

Federal eRulemaking Portal www.regulations.gov

EPA online comment form

Via Email:     Charles Rodriguez (rodriguez.charles@epa.gov)
By Mail:     
Charles Rodriguez
U.S. EPA, Region 5, Mail Code RE-19J
77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604
By Phone:  (312) 353-6284 (Leave a voice message after the prompt)

Public Hearing: A public meeting and hearing is scheduled for May 21, 2022, where EPA will answer questions regarding the proposed administrative settlements and the ESD. The public meeting and hearing will provide the public with an additional opportunity to comment on all three documents.
Date: May 21, 2022 Time: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Venue: Old Carrie Gosch School, Auditorium, 455 E. 148th St., East Chicago

Contact Information

EPA Community Involvement Coordinators
Janet Pope
(pope.janet@epa.gov)
312-353-0628

Charles Rodriguez
(rodriguez.charles@epa.gov)
312-886-7472

Information Repositories
East Chicago Public Library
2401 E. Columbus Drive

Robert A. Pastrick Library
1008 W. Chicago Ave.
East Chicago

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Last updated on May 2, 2022