&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
For more information
The EPA, the Marion County
Health Department and the Indiana
Department of Environmental
Management welcome your
questions and comments about
ground water contamination in the
Cossell/Vermont Neighborhood
and possible future connections
to municipal water. Contact these
representatives:
Patricia Krause
EPA Community Involvement
Coordinator
312-886-9506
krause.patricia@epa.gov
Shelly Lam
EPA On-Scene Coordinator
317-308-3073
lam.shelly@epa.gov
EPA toll-free 800-621-8431, 9:30
a.m. to 5:30 p.m., weekdays
Pam Thevenow
Marion County Health Department
317-221-2266
ptheveno@hhcorp.org
Erin Brittain
Indiana Department of
Environmental Management
317-233-2991
ebrittai@idem. IN .gov
On the Web:
www.epa.gov/region5/sites/
cossellvermont
Agencies Advise Municipal
Water for Private Well Users
Cossell/West Vermont Street Ground Water Contamination Site
Speedway, Indiana April 2011
Residents living in the area of Cossell and West Vermont Street in Speedway
who use private wells for their water supply may be affected by ground water
contamination. Ground water is an environmental term for underground
supply of fresh water. The Environmental Protection Agency along with the
Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Marion County
Health Department are working to determine a long-term solution to the
pollution issue. For the 30 homes that use private wells in this neighborhood.
the agencies recommend connecting to a municipal water supply. Officials
with the EPA hope that work can begin later this year.
During water sampling in 2009 and 2010, the Marion County Health
Department detected vinyl chloride above safe levels in the wells of three
residences. The safety threshold is called the "action level." Action levels
are established for drinking water contaminants. The pollutant concentration
above a certain level will determine the need for an alternate water supply. As
a temporary measure the EPA installed systems to treat the water and make it
safe for drinking at the three residences. The health department continues to
sample residential wells in the area to make sure drinking water levels are safe
for other residents.
Vinyl chloride is a man-made chemical used in making a variety of plastic
and vinyl products. A ground water plume (an underground mass of
contamination) contains vinyl chloride, but the source of the plume has not
yet been found. Vinyl chloride is in a family of hazardous chemicals called
volatile organic compounds or VOCs. VOCs evaporate easily and can dissolve
in water.
In addition, EPA investigated the three residences for an environmental
problem called "vapor intrusion." Vapor intrusion can occur when pollutants
carried along by the ground water evaporate and give off dangerous fumes
that rise through the soil and seep into cracks and holes in basements and
slabs. Once in a building, the vapors can cause hazardous indoor air pollution.
Action levels for VOCs were not detected in soil vapor samples collected
from under the three homes indicating vapor intrusion was not occurring
during the sampling period.
Health concerns
Vinyl chloride can cause cancer if people are exposed to high concentrations
of the chemical for long periods, such as in the workplace. Exposure
can occur from breathing vinyl chloride in air and drinking water from
contaminated wells. The effects of drinking high levels of vinyl chloride for
some time are unknown. The effects of drinking low levels of vinyl chloride
are unknown, and the EPA is uncertain about the health effects of vinyl
chloride exposure from the multiple pathways of drinking, breathing and skin
absorption. Given this uncertainty, the EPA has determined that a Maximum
Contaminant Level goal of zero in municipal drinking water protects people's
health. More information about vinyl chloride can be found at
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts20.pdf
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Costs for municipal water
Residents will not pay for hook-ups to a municipal
water supply. Once connected, residents will
receive a water bill each month. For example, the
average ratepayer's water bill in Speedway is $20
per month. See the Speedway website for more
information: www.townofspeedway.org/egov/
docs/1279370897_228607.pdf.
Next Steps
The EPA has initiated an action memo to hook up
properties to municipal water. An action memo serves
as a decision document and justifies the need for the
EPA to proceed. The EPA has sent out "general notice"
letters to potentially responsible parties in the area who
may be possible sources of the contamination. These
letters outline potential liabilities and financial concerns
and also can start plans for reaching an agreement for
municipal water hook-up. Residents will be informed of
new information and of meetings being scheduled to share
updates. In the next few months, the EPA will share more
details about connecting homes to municipal water.
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