ŁEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA contacts
You may contact these EPA team
members for questions or comments
about the Lusher site pollution
investigation.
Patti Krause
EPA Community Involvement
Coordinator
77 W.Jackson Blvd., P-19J
Chicago, IL 60604
312-886-9506
krause.patricia@epa.gov
Syed Quadri
EPA Remedial Project Manager
77 W. Jackson Blvd., SR-6J
Chicago, IL 60604
quadri. syed@epa.gov
312-886-5736
Region 5 toll-free: 800-621-8431,
9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., weekdays
For more information
To find more details about the
Lusher site visit the EPA Web page:
www.epa.gov/region5/sites/lusher
A repository of documents about the
site has been established at the
Elkhart Public Library, Reference
Services, 300 S. Second St.
EPA Plans Tests on
Soil, Underground Water
Lusher Street Ground Water Contamination Site
Elkhart, Indiana November 2008
In order to determine the nature and extent of contamination and
recommend a cleanup option, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will
test soil and underground water supplies in an area centered around
Elkhart's Lusher Avenue. Taking samples and testing for contamination is
part of an ongoing environmental investigation at the site tainted by a
family of chemicals called "chlorinated solvents." Sampling results will
help EPA find out the source of this contamination, how far the
contamination extends and where more testing may be needed.
At this time EPA has set boundaries for the Lusher site at the St. Joseph
River to the north, State Road 19 (Nappanee Street) to the west, Hively
Avenue to the south and Oakland Avenue to the east.
Background
This March EPA added the Lusher site to the National Priorities List. The
NPL is a roster of the nation's most hazardous waste sites eligible for
cleanup under EPA's Superfund program. The goals of Superfund are to
protect human health and the environment by cleaning up polluted sites;
involving community members in the cleanup process; making those
responsible for the pollution pay for the work; and returning polluted land
to productive use.
In the late 1980s the Indiana Health Department found high levels of
chemicals in many private drinking water wells, which indicated
underground water supplies (called ground water in environmental terms)
had been contaminated. EPA installed carbon filters in 13 residences and
businesses to reduce the contamination. Water supplies of seven
residences and businesses were converted to municipal water, and later
municipal water lines were extended to the majority of affected properties.
More sampling was done in 2006 and 12 more wells exceeded allowable
drinking water concentrations for chlorinated solvents. Residents were
supplied with carbon filters and bottled water.
Site pollutants
The site contains a ground-water plume, which is an underground mass of
contaminated water. The pollution in this plume, chlorinated solvents, is
used in a variety of industrial applications including degreasers, plastic
foam, adhesives, refrigerants, resins and fibers. Chlorinated solvents at the
Lusher site include these hazardous chemicals: 1,1,1-TCA (1,1,1-
trichloroethane); TCE (trichloroethylene); 1,1-DCE (1,1-
dichloroethylene); and other chlorinated compounds.
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Public outreach
This September EPA met with residents, businesses,
and local officials in Elkhart to find out their concerns
about the site, their information needs, and how and
when citizens would like to be involved in the
Superfund process.
Based on responses, EPA is developing a community
involvement plan. Open houses and other public events
give Agency staffers an opportunity to meet with
people who may be affected by the site.
These types of meetings and fact sheets like this one
share the latest news about sites and provide EPA
contact information to people needing more details.
Who pays?
Individuals or companies who may have contributed to
contamination at Superfund sites are called PRPs or
potentially responsible parties.
Whenever possible through administrative and legal
actions EPA requires PRPs to clean up hazardous waste
sites they have contaminated.
The oval in this aerial view marks the approximate location of the area in Elkhart where underground water supplies
(ground water) have been contaminated with industrial chemicals. Many of the homes and businesses in the affected
section have been connected to municipal water because their private wells were tainted with the chemicals.
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