EPA
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PLAN
USS Lead Superfund Site
East Chicago, Indiana
April 2011
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5
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Community Involvement Plan USS Lead Superfund Site
CONTENTS
Section Page
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1-1
2.0 WHAT IS SUPERFUND 2-1
3.0 SITE BACKGROUND 3-1
4.0 COMMUNITY BACKGROUND 4-1
4.1 COMMUNITY PROFILE 4-1
4.1.1 Environmental Justice 4-2
4.2 PAST COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT EFFORTS 4-2
5.0 COMMUNITY CONCERNS 5-1
5.1 SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY INTERVIEWS 5-1
5.2 POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS POSED BY THE SITE 5-1
5.3 COMMUNCIATION WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS AND OFFICIALS 5-1
6.0 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT GOALS AND ACTIVITIES 6-1
6.1 SPECIFIC COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES 6-2
6.2 TIMEFRAME FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES 6-5
Appendix
A INFORMATION REPOSITORY, ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD, WEBSITE AND
PUBLIC MEETING LOCATIONS
B LIST OF CONTACTS
C LIST OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Figure
1 SUPERFUND PROCESS 2-2
2 SITE LOCATION MAP 3-3
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Community Involvement Plan USS Lead Superfund Site
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prepared this Community Involvement Plan
(CIP) for the U.S. Smelter and Lead Refinery, Inc. (USS Lead) site in East Chicago, Indiana.
EPA's Community Involvement Program is committed to promoting communication between
citizens and the Agency. Active community involvement is crucial to the success of any public
The CIP:
Assists the public in understanding the decision-making process during project design
and cleanup and the community's role in that process.
Provides the public with accessible, accurate, timely and understandable information
about the project as it moves forward
Ensures adequate time and opportunity for the public to provide informed and
meaningful input and for that input to be considered
Respects and fully considers public input throughout the process as the project moves
forward.
project.
EPA used several information sources to develop this plan, including community interviews
conducted in June 2010 with local residents, local officials, other parties interested in activities at
the USS Lead site in East Chicago, Indiana and site files. In addition to this introduction, the CIP
contains the following sections:
Section 2.0, What is Superfund - This section discusses the Superfund program.
Section 3.0, Site Background - This section provides an overview of the site's history
and operations, as well as site investigations and cleanup work.
Section 4.0, Community Background - This section provides a profile of the population
of East Chicago, Indiana and describes the history of community involvement in the site
cleanup.
Section 5.0, Community Concerns - This section summarizes community concerns
discussed during the June 2010 community interviews.
Section 6.0, Community Involvement Goals and Activities - This section describes
site-specific objectives developed in response to identified community concerns and
activities to be conducted to accomplish these objectives.
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Appendix A of the CIP lists the location of the information repository, administrative record,
website, and possible meeting locations; Appendix B provides contact information for EPA
project contacts, elected officials and the media; and Appendix C provides a list of questions
asked during the community interviews.
This draft CIP is being released to the public by EPA for review and comment. If you are
interested in submitting comments or have questions about this draft CIP, please contact:
Janet Pope
Community Involvement Coordinator
EPA Region 5 (SI-7J)
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3507
Phone: 312-353-0628 or 800-621-8431 x 30628
pope.j anet@epa.gov
For more information on the USS Lead site, visit www.epa.gov/region5/sites/usslead or request
information by contacting EPA's community involvement coordinator, Janet Pope (see contact
information above).
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Community Involvement Plan USS Lead Superfund Site
2.0 WHAT IS SUPERFUND?
Superfund is the Federal environmental cleanup program legally known as the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, or CERCLA, which was enacted in
1980. In 1986, the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) reauthorized
CERCLA to continue cleanup activities around the country. Through CERCLA, EPA was given
authority to compel people or companies responsible for creating hazardous waste sites to clean
them up or reimburse the government for EPA-lead cleanups. Through various enforcement
tools, EPA obtains private party cleanup through orders, consent decrees, and other small party
settlements. EPA may also recover costs from financially viable individuals and companies once
a cleanup action has been completed. EPA is authorized to implement CERCLA in all 50 states
and U.S. territories. Superfund site identification, monitoring, and response activities in states are
coordinated through the state environmental protection or waste management agencies. The
Superfund program encourages active dialogue between communities affected by the release of
hazardous substances and the agencies responsible for carrying out or overseeing cleanup
actions.
There are several steps involved in cleaning up a polluted site and EPA follows a step-by-step
process to determine the best way to clean up the site and protect human health and the
environment. EPA considers community involvement to be an important part of the Superfund
program and opportunities for community involvement occur throughout the process. Figure 1
on the next page outlines the steps in the Superfund process and highlights opportunities for
community involvement at each step of the process.
Visit EPA's website for more information on the Superfund process.
Superfund: www.epa.gov/superfund/index.htm
Cleanup Process: www.epa.gov/superfund/cleanup/index.htm
Community Involvement: www.epa.gov/superfund/community/index.htm
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Superfund
Process Steps
( Gather historical site condition information to
determine if further investigation is needed
Use Hazard Ranking System to evaluate risks
^Publish notice in Federal Register and local media
announcing proposed listing and public comment
period
Once listed, EPA publishes notice in Federal Register
V^ and responds to comments
/'Determines the nature and extent of contamination,
evaluates human health and ecological risk
- Presents the cleanup alternatives and is issued for
a 30-day public comment period
Contains the selected remedy for a site and the
Responsiveness Summary which provides
responses to all comments received during the
public comment period
Preliminary
Assessment/Site
Inspection
National
Priorities List
(NPL) Process
Remedial
Investigation/
Feasibility Study
Proposed
Plan
Record of Decision
(ROD)
Includes preparing for and doing the bulk of the
cleanup at the site
Final design is developed
Remedial Design/
Remedial Action
/ -Any necessary physical construction has been
completed (even though final cleanup levels may
not have been reached)
' Ensures that Superfund cleanups provide
long-term protection of human health and
environment
Monitoring continues
Construction
Completion
Post-Construction
Completion
(h\\ site work completed
EPA requests comments on upcoming deletion of
site from NPL list
Deletion
ucicuuii
Community Involvement
Opportunities
Provide any information you have about the site to
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Read information about EPA's proposal to list the site
Contact EPA for questions or additional information
If concerned, submit comments during the Public
Comment period
Consider forming a Community Advisory Group {CAG) *
and applying for a Technical Assistance Grant (TAG)
Participate in public meetings
Contact CIC with questions
Read EPA's proposed plan
Participate in public meetings
Visit Information Repository
Read the ROD for site cleanup
Participate in public events or visit the information
repository
Contact site community involvement coordinator
(CIC )with questions
. -Learn about the final design
\ Work through your CAG, TAG, or Technical Assistance
I Services for Communities (TASC) provider for information
/ Attend meetings and site visits
Contact CIC with questions __
Attend meetings and site visits
Contact CIC with questions
Work through your CAG, TAG, or TASC provider for
information
Visit the site or arrange a site tour through EPA
Contact CIC with questions
Read EPA's proposal and Responsiveness Summary
Read the final deletion report
PlanacommunityevenIO<;elebrate deletion from
Reuse
After site is clean
EPA works with community to help return site to
productive use
EPA will ensure that any land use restrictions
\^ continue to be met
Figure 1 shows community involvement opportunities at each step of the Superfund process.
Work with EPA and neighbors to plan the
redevelopment
Explore EPA's tools and resources
Be supportive of redevelopment plans once they've
been agreed upon
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3.0 SITE BACKGROUND
The USS Lead site lies on a 79-acre area of land in East Chicago, Indiana. From 1906 to 1920,
the Delamar Copper Refinery operated at the facility as a copper smelter. In 1920, the property
was purchased by U.S. Smelting Refining and Mining and the facility became a lead refinery.
Between 1972 and 1973, USS Lead was converted to a secondary lead smelter, recovering lead
from scrap metal and old automobile batteries. Two primary waste materials were generated as a
result of the smelting operations - blast-furnace slag and lead-containing dust emitted by the
blast furnace stack. Blast-furnace slag was stockpiled south of the plant building and spread once
a year over an adjoining 21-acre wetland. The lead-containing dust was originally trapped in bag
filters. Lead particles have been found downwind of the plant, however, which suggests that all
of the lead-containing dust was not contained by the bag filters. In the 1980s, several state and
federal enforcement actions were taken against the company. In September 1985, Indiana State
Board of Health found USS Lead in violation of state law because lead particles were found
downwind of the plant.
In addition to the USS Lead facility, there are several other potential sources of lead
contamination in the residential area, including the former Anaconda Copper Company
(Anaconda) site; and E.I. DuPont de Nemours Company (DuPont). Anaconda occupied the area
along the Indiana Harbor Canal where the Gosch Elementary School and the public housing
residential complex immediately south of the school are currently located (the southwest portion
of the Residential Area). The Gosch Elementary School and the East Chicago Public Housing
complex were built on the Anaconda site after 1959. The Anaconda site included the subsidiary
operations Anaconda Lead Products, a manufacturer of white lead and zinc oxide, and the
International Lead Refining Company, a metal refining facility. These operations consisted of a
pulverizing mill, white lead storage areas, a chemical laboratory, a machine shop, a zinc oxide
experimental unit building and plant, a silver refinery, a lead refinery, a baghouse, and other
miscellaneous buildings and processing areas. DuPont was located south of the USS Lead site
and east of the former USS Lead facility. DuPont historically manufactured the pesticide lead
arsenate at this location.
The residential area north of the plant includes about 1,000 homes, a few parks, schools and
public buildings, and has been sampled several times by different entities. The residential area
itself has been sampled many times by different groups - EPA in 1985, Entact in 1999,
EPA/IDEM in 2002, EPA in 2003 and 2006. In 2003, EPA sampled soil in the residential area
north of USS Lead as part of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) corrective
action investigation. Results from the testing showed high levels of lead contamination in some
residential yards. In 2004, EPA's RCRA corrective action program referred USS Lead to the
federal Superfund program for cleanup of the residential yards and wetland portions of the
facility.
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Community Involvement Plan USS Lead Superfund Site
In April 2006, EPA Superfund program re-sampled the residential yards at 14 properties. The
analysis of those samples confirmed that the yards for at least 12 homes had lead contamination
levels above 1,200 parts per million, which is the regulatory level used in the evaluation of
residential yards with lead contamination. In 2008, the Superfund removal program removed soil
from 13 of the 14 yards with elevated lead levels.
In December 2009, EPA collected soil samples in the first of two phases from 110 yards, four
parks, and one school in an area between East Chicago Avenue and 151st Street, and between the
Indiana Harbor Canal and Parrish Avenue. In the first phase, sampling in the residential area was
done on a widely-spaced sampling grid to determine the lateral and vertical extent of lead-
contaminated soil at residences, schools, parks, vacant lots and other areas where children may
come into contact with contaminated soil. The samples were analyzed in the field with a field
screening device that can detect metal concentration. Letters which included the sampling results
were sent to the homeowners.
During the Spring and Summer of 2010, EPA conducted a second phase of investigation to
further assess areas where sensitive populations (children, seniors and those who have weakened
immune systems) may be exposed and to address spatial data gaps. Samples were collected from
baseball diamonds, the walking path west of Carrie Gosch Elementary School, Kennedy Gardens
Park, the grounds of St. Joseph's Carmelite Home for Girls, and several additional residences. A
remedial investigation report is currently being prepared and a feasibility study is being
conducted to determine the most appropriate way to address the contaminated soils. These
reports will be available for public comment as they are released at the local Information
Repository and Administrative Records (see Appendix A for more information).
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»_
USS LEAD RESIDENTIAL SUPERFUND SITE
East Chicago Avenue__s
D 1.000
1 1
:.!>:: Frf:
l
nm-f\-t
Site boundaries \j/
Figure 2 shows the boundaries of the USS Lead site in East Chicago, Indiana.
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4.0 COMMUNITY BACKGROUND
This section describes the composition of the city of East Chicago, Indiana communities, the
history of community involvement with the site, and major community concerns in East Chicago
regarding the site.
Races in East Chicago. IN
Black alone
White alone
Other
Hispanic
4.1 COMMUNITY PROFILE
According to the City-Data.com website, as of July 2009, the
population of East Chicago is 29,900. The racial makeup of the
city is approximately 51 percent Hispanic, 36 percent Black or
African American, 12 percent White Non-Hispanic, 1 percent
American Indian, with 3 percent of the population reporting two
or more races.
The city of East Chicago is located in Lake County of northwest
Indiana, approximately 20 miles southeast of Chicago, Illinois. It encompasses an area of 12
square miles. The nearest Indiana city (approximately 2 miles away) with a population of 83,048
is Hammond, Ind.
The USS Lead site area in East Chicago encompasses three neighborhoods including public
housing, and the West Calumet and East Calumet areas. As there is a large Hispanic population,
Spanish translation services for meetings and documents are needed to support transparent
communication with this community.
East Chicago, nicknamed the Twin City, was incorporated in 1893 as a steel and railroad town.
During the Industrial Revolution, the city was known as the most industrialized municipality due
to its abundance of industrial factories. During World War I, East Chicago was known as the
"Arsenal of America."
East Chicago is governed by a mayor, who is elected every four years and a city council, whose
members are elected every two years. The city is assisted by a city clerk, township assessor, and
township trustee. East Chicago has a health department which has been kept informed of
activities at the site. The East Chicago Redevelopment Authority is also active in the community.
The main daily newspapers in the area are The Northwest Indiana Times (formerly The
Hammond Times) and The Post Tribune. The main television stations include WLS-TV,
WMAQ-TV, WTTW, WFLD, WGN-TV, and WBBM-TV. The local cable channel, E.C. TV
provides local coverage. Multiple AM and FM radio stations from the Chicagoland area service
the East Chicago area. A list of local media sources are listed in Appendix B.
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4.1.1 Environmental Justice
The Environmental Justice Act of 1992 obligates federal agencies to make environmental justice
part of its overall mission by "identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high
and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on
minority populations and low-income populations." Following this order, the Office of
Environmental Equity within EPA became the Office of Environmental Justice. EPA's Office of
Environmental Justice ensures that all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or
income, enjoy the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal
access to the decision-making process for a healthy living, learning, and work environment.
Ensuring environmental justice means not only protecting human health and the environment for
everyone, but also ensuring that all people are treated fairly and are given the opportunity to
participate meaningfully in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental
laws, regulations, and policies. EPA considers East Chicago an environmental justice
community, which means it is a community that historically is an under-represented minority and
low-income area burdened with significant environmental challenges.
When making decisions about a cleanup and planning its community involvement initiative for a
community, EPA must take environmental justice issues into account. As part of this effort, EPA
is working to improve collaboration between federal agencies and communities, and addressing
environmental challenges in more effective, efficient, and sustainable ways.
4.2 PAST COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT EFFORTS
Informational meetings were held in March 2006, December 2007 and December 2009 to
explain the residential sampling activities in the area and to give residents an opportunity to ask
questions about the site. EPA has issued several fact sheets to update the public on site cleanup
efforts and to provide information on how to protect people from lead contamination. These fact
sheets were issued in March 2006, October 2007, December 2007, and December 2009. These
fact sheets and other site-related information can be accessed on the website,
www.epa.gov/region5/sites/usslead.
EPA conducted interviews with local residents and other interested parties in June 2010. EPA
representatives attended Calumet Day, a local neighborhood gathering, in July 2010.
An information repository has been established for the site at the East Chicago Public Library,
located at 2401 E. Columbus Drive in East Chicago. The repository contains site-related
documents such as technical reports, sampling results, general information about EPA and the
Superfund program, and other information.
The community interviews conducted in June 2010 represents EPA's continuing efforts to
engage the community. More information on the interviews can be found in Section 5.
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5.0 COMMUNITY CONCERNS
During June 2010, EPA conducted in-person interviews with 25 East Chicago residents and other
interested parties to identify their questions, concerns, and information needs regarding the USS
Lead site. A Spanish translator participated in the interviews for those residents who were more
comfortable talking in Spanish. The key concerns and questions raised during the community
interviews are summarized below. The interviews were conducted in a discussion format and
each interviewee was asked approximately 16 questions from a list.
Note to readers: This summary is intended to faithfully record and reflect the issues and
concerns expressed to EPA by residents, officials and others interviewed during the community
interviews. Please be cautioned that the statements contained in this section may, or may not, be
applicable.
5.1 SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY INTERVIEWS
All but one of the 25 interviewees have been longtime residents and neighbors of the site. The
majority of people said that they knew little or nothing about the site though some said that they
heard there could be lead contamination from the site and a few people either had samples taken
at their property or knew of someone who had samples taken. Overall, there does not seem to be
a high level of concern from the community about the USS Lead site though many of the
residents interviewed expressed concerns about other issues in their area such as drugs and gang
problems. Some residents said there concern was not with USS Lead, but with DuPont, which
they believe has caused flooding problems in the area and wondered if the lead could leach into
the standing water.
A few residents commented that there was a lot of garbage and waste around the public housing
area and people attributed the problems to prior industrial activity in the area.
5.2 POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS POSED BY THE SITE
Some people did not have any concerns about the site and said that having the industry nearby
was just a fact of living in the area and no one really paid attention. Other residents did express
concerns about the children in the area being exposed to lead and some asked if exposure to the
lead could have caused cancer or birth defects in some of the children. Concern was also
expressed from residents that garden and they wondered if the vegetables would be contaminated
with lead.
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5.3 COMMUNICATION WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS AND OFFICIALS
All of the people interviewed want to receive information by regular mail. About half of the
people asked to be kept informed about the site through e-mail, whereas the other half did not
have email or access to the internet at their home. The people interviewed were mixed in their
response about the timing for future meetings. Many of the residents said that at least two
meetings should be held - one in the day and one in the early evening in order to provide
accessibility to the community. Many negative comments were received about the look of past
communications. Those interviewed said that the information looks like "junk mail" and they
throw it out. People did remember the yellow postcard announcing the interviews because it
stood out.
During the interviews it was noted several times that people would not know to look for
information about the site under the name USS Lead. It was suggested that the site name
reference East Chicago, as it would be more recognizable to area residents.
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6.0 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT GOALS AND ACTIVITIES
When establishing the objectives for a site-specific community involvement program, EPA
considers several factors, including federal requirements that assess the nature and extent of
known or perceived site contaminants and known community concerns and requests.
To be effective, the community involvement program must be designed to meet the community's
need to know, give information in a timely manner, accommodate the community's interest and
willingness to participate in decision-making processes and use a language(s) the public can
understand.
To meet the needs of the community and to respond to information obtained during the June
2010 community interviews and meet federal requirements, the following objectives have been
established for community involvement efforts:
Enlist the support and involvement of local officials and community leaders
Monitor citizen interest in the site and respond accordingly
Keep the community well informed of ongoing and planned site activities
Provide follow-up explanations about technical site activities and findings
Provide health information updates about the effects of lead and ways to prevent lead
poisoning, especially as it relates to children
Provide opportunities for public input on key decisions
Establish a website that provides updates
Provide information in English and Spanish
Hold meetings in different areas within the community and at different times of the day
to give all residents an opportunity to attend
EPA has implemented, or will implement, the activities described below to meaningfully and
actively engage the East Chicago community in decisions regarding the cleanup of the USS
Lead site. The following plan is intended to provide opportunities for communication between
the community and EPA, and address key concerns and questions raised during the community
interviews conducted in June 2010.
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6.1 SPECIFIC COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES
To address community concerns and questions described in Section 5.0, EPA has conducted (or
will conduct) the activities described below. Through these activities, it is EPA's goal to inform,
involve and engage the community during site cleanup decisions and efforts.
Maintain Point of Contact. EPA has designated a community involvement coordinator (CIC) as
a point of contact. The CIC serves as a liaison between the community and EPA. The current
CIC is Janet Pope, who can be reached at 312-353-0628; 800- 621-8431, ext. 30628 or via email
at pope.janet@epa.gov. In addition to the CIC, there is a technical point of contact. The remedial
project manager is Michael Berkoff, who can be reached at 312-353-8983; 800- 621-8431, ext.
38983 or via email at berkoff.michael@epa.gov.
EPA will include contact information on all written and electronic information and will notify
the community of any contact information changes.
Establish a Toil-Free Number For Residents To Ask Questions And Receive Information.
Both Ms. Pope and Mr. Berkoff can be reached at 800-621-8431, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m.
Residents can call this number as questions or concerns arise, rather than waiting for a public
meeting or to receive written information. EPA publishes this toll-free number periodically in the
local newspapers and in all fact sheets or other EPA communications.
Maintain Communication with Local Officials, Agencies, and Community Residents. EPA
interviewed a local official from the East Chicago Redevelopment Authority in the June 2010
community interviews.
EPA will continue to maintain communication with them as the site is studied. This will be done
via phone or email.
Update and Maintain the Site Mailing List. A mailing list of local residents, organizations,
businesses, and officials has been established for the site. This list is used for mailing fact sheets,
site updates, invitations to public meetings and events and other site-related information to the
community. The list will be updated regularly to reflect address changes and changes in elected
officials and to add new people interested in site activities. EPA will also establish an email list
and provide regular updates as appropriate.
EPA uses the site mailing list to distribute written information such as fact sheets and meeting
notifications. This is a way to ensure that those that do not have access to the Internet or other
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information sources still have a way to receive information directly about the site. If a
community member is interested in being placed on either mailing list they can contact the
current CIC, Janet Pope at 312-353-0628; 800- 621-8431, ext. 30628 or via email at
pope.janet@epa.gov.
Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets and Site Updates: Fact sheets, letters, and site updates
summarizing current information about the site and describing upcoming activities may be
prepared and distributed to those on the site mailing and email lists. These documents are
written in non-technical language and typically done to coincide with site milestones. The
documents are also prepared in Spanish. Based upon community feedback, documents should be
more eye-catching and appealing so the information is not mistaken for junk mail and thrown
out.
EPA uses these types of documents to provide the community with detailed information in a
relatively quick, simple and easy-to-understand manner. In addition to being distributed to
individuals on the site mailing lists, fact sheets and site updates are also placed in the information
repository and posted on the website: www.epa.gov/region5/sites/usslead.
Establish and Maintain a Site-Specific Information Repository. EPA has set up an
information repository at the East Chicago Public Library, located at 2401 E. Columbus Drive in
East Chicago. The repository is a reference collection of site information available to the public
for reading and photocopying. Documents include fact sheets, technical reports, the CIP, general
Superfund information and other documents. EPA adds new documents about the site as they
become available.
Information repositories provide residents with local access to site information in forms that can
be easily read and photocopied for future use.
Establish and Maintain the Administrative Record. The Administrative Record for the USS
Lead site can be found at the East Chicago Public Library. EPA will update the Administrative
Record as necessary.
The Administrative Record provides residents with a paper trail of all documents EPA relied on,
or considered, to reach decisions about the site cleanup.
Conduct Public Meetings and Information Sessions: Public meetings and information
sessions are typically held to communicate information and to solicit questions and input from
the community. The purpose of the meeting should dictate the forum and the frequency. The
achievement of certain project milestones or discovery of new information may warrant a more
formal public meeting with presentations of technical information by EPA personnel. During
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ongoing site work, information sessions may be needed to keep the community informed of site
progress, answer resident questions about ongoing work, and obtain information about the
resident perceptions and concerns.
EPA held informational meetings in December 2007 and December 2009 to present site-specific
information and solicit community input.
EPA will consider conducting meetings at different times and different locations throughout the
community to give all residents an opportunity to attend as needed. EPA will also provide a
Spanish translator at meetings to enhance communication with the Hispanic community.
All meetings will be advertised in a local newspaper, such as the Northwest Indiana Times and
Post Tribune at least 1 week prior to the meeting.
Develop and Distribute News Releases: EPA has prepared and released announcements to
local newspapers such as the Northwest Indiana Times, Viva (Hispanic publication) and Post
Tribune to provide information about events such as significant site investigation findings,
completion of major milestones, significant scheduling information, and other pertinent site-
related information.
News releases allow EPA to reach large audiences quickly. They are posted on EPA's website,
www.epa.gov/region5/sites/usslead. EPA typically publishes news releases and public notices to
announce major events such as comment periods, public meetings, and major milestones such as
the selection of a cleanup plan.
EPA will continue to issue news releases and public notices in both English and Spanish as site
activities progress. Copies of the news releases and public notices are also available in the
Information Repository.
Solicit Community Input During Public Comment Periods. EPA holds public comment
periods to give community members an opportunity to review and comment on key decisions.
Before EPA selects a final cleanup plan for the USS Lead site, the Agency will hold a public
comment period to allow interested residents an opportunity to review and comment on its
proposed plan. EPA will consider the community's input before selecting a final cleanup plan.
EPA's response to public comments will be summarized in a document called a responsiveness
summary, which will be placed in the site information repository and made available on EPA's
website.
Plan or Participate in Community Events. EPA attended Calumet Day in July 2010 during
which the CIC met with community members to discuss the USS Lead site and answer questions.
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EPA will attend additional events as opportunities arise.
Evaluate Community Involvement and Outreach Efforts and Make Adjustments as
Warranted. This CIP was designed to consider site- and community-specific factors as well as
to comply with federal requirements. Community concerns, the objectives of the community
involvement program for the site, and specific activities to address these concerns in this CIP
were based to a large extent on information obtained during June 2010 interviews with local
residents and officials. EPA recognizes that changes in areas such as community perceptions,
information needs, and population demographics can occur over time and that such changes may
necessitate a revised approach to conducting community involvement activities. For this reason
as well as to determine whether the activities in this plan are achieving their intended objectives,
periodic reviews will be done to determine whether additional activities are warranted or whether
changes to current methods of implementing the activities outlined in this plan are necessary.
6.2 TIMEFRAME FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES
The following table presents the general timeframe for the activities described in Section 6.1.
Community Involvement Activities Timefraim
Maintain Point of Contact
Establish a Toil-Free Number for Residents To Ask
Questions and Receive Information
Maintain Communication with Local Officials, Agencies,
and Community Residents
Update and Maintain Site Mailing and Email Lists
Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets and Site Updates
Establish and Maintain a Site-Specific Information
Repository
Establish and Maintain the Administrative Record
Conduct Public Meetings and Information Sessions
Develop and Distribute News Releases
Solicit Community Input During Public Comment
Periods
Plan or Attend Community Events.
Evaluate Community Involvement and Outreach Efforts
and Make Adjustments to the CIP as Warranted
Done
Done; publish on written materials
Ongoing as needed
Done; update as needed
As needed
Done; update as needed
Done; update as needed
Ongoing as needed
Ongoing as needed
When proposed cleanup plan is completed
As requested
Periodically throughout the cleanup
process
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Community Involvement Plan USS Lead Super fund Site
APPENDIX A
Information Repository, Administrative Record, Website and Public Meeting
Locations
Information Repository and Administrative Record
East Chicago Public Library
2401 E. Columbus Drive
East Chicago, IN 46312
Phone: 219-397-2453
Library Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
EPA Web Page
www.epa.gov/region5/sites/usslead
Possible Meeting Locations
East Chicago Public Library
2401 East Columbus Drive
East Chicago, IN 46312
219-397-2453
Robert Pastrick Branch (East Chicago Public Library)
1008 West Chicago Avenue
East Chicago, IN 46312
219-397-5505
Carrie Gosh School
455 East 148th Street
East Chicago, IN 46312
219-3914172
Martin Luther King Community Center
4802 Melville Avenue
East Chicago, IN 46312
219-391-8481
Roberto Clemente Center
3616 Elm Street
East Chicago, IN 46312
219-391-8485
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APPENDIX B
List of Contacts
U.S. EPA Region 5 Project Contacts
Janet Pope
Community Involvement Coordinator
Superfund Division (SI-7J)
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
Michael Berkoff
Remedial Project Manager
Superfund Division (SR-6J)
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
Federal Elected Officials
Senator Dan Coats
1650 Market Tower
10 West Market St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
B-40E Dirksen Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Senator Richard Lugar
175 W. Lincolnway, Suite G-l
Valparaiso, IN 46383
306 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Congressman Pete Visclosky
1st District
7895 Broadway, Suite A
Merrillville, IN 46410
2256 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
312-353-0628
800-621-8431, ext. 30628
pope, i anet@epa. gov
312-353-8983
800-621-8431, ext. 38983
berkoff.michael@epa.gov
317-554-0750
202-224-5623
www.coats.senate.gov/contact
219-548-8035
202-224-4814
www.lugar. senate.gov/contact
219-795-1844
202-225-2461
www.viscloskv.house.gov/contact/email-me.shtml
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State Elected Officials
Governor Mitch Daniels
Office of the Governor
Statehouse
200 W. Washington St., #206
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2731
State Senator Lonnie Randolph
2nd District
Indiana State Senate
200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-232-4567
www.in.gov/gov/2631/htm
800-382-9467
s2@iga.in.gov
State Representative Earl Harris
2nd District
Indiana House of Representatives
200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
State Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon
12th District
Indiana House of Representatives
200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
800-392-9842
h2@in.gov
317-232-9600
hl2@in.gov
Local Officials
City of East Chicago
Anthony Copeland
Mayor
4527 Indianapolis Blvd.
East Chicago, IN 46312
Mary Morris Leonard
City Clerk
2301 East Columbus Drive
East Chicago, IN 46312
219-391-8200
www. eastchicago. com
219-391-8491
www. eastchicago. com
East Chicago City Council Office
4525 Indianapolis Blvd.
EastChicago, IN 46312
219-391-8217
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Community Involvement Plan
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East Chicago City Council Members
Adrian Santos
1st District
4510MagounSt.
East Chicago, IN 46312
Lenny Franciski
2nd District
5505 Wegg Ave.
East Chicago, IN 46312
Jimmy Ventura
3rd District
4939 Grasselli St.
East Chicago, IN 46312
Christine Vasquez
4th District
2011 Joy Lane
East Chicago, IN 46312
Robert Garcia
5th District
3733 Parrish Ave.
East Chicago, IN 46312
Gilda Orange
6th District
4525 Indianapolis Blvd.
East Chicago, IN 46312
Richard Medina
At-Large Councilman
4216 Euclid Ave.
East Chicago, IN 46312
Juda Parks
At-Large Councilman
4236 Tod Ave.
East Chicago, IN 46312
Myrna Maldonado
At-Large Councilwoman
4142OlcottAve.
East Chicago, IN 46312
219-391-5003
www. eastchi cago. com/
219-391-0268
www. eastchi cago. com/
219-354-8449
www. eastchi cago. com/
219-391-8524
www. eastchi cago. com/
219-545-9075
www. eastchi cago. com/
219-398-0136
www. eastchi cago. com/
219-391-8331
www. eastchi cago. com/
219-808-3416
www. eastchi cago. com/
219-392-9952
www. eastchi cago. com/
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Local Agencies
East Chicago Health Department
100W. Chicago Ave.
East Chicago, IN 46312
Dr. Paula Benchik
Health Department Commissioner
Department of Redevelopment
4920 Larkspur Drive
East Chicago, IN 46312
John Artis
Executive Director
Lyvette Turk
Community Development Programs Manager
Newspapers
The Northwest Indiana Times
Viva (Hispanic publication)
601 W. 45th Ave.
Munster, IN 463 21
The Post Tribune
1433 E. 83rd. Ave.
Merrillville, IN 46410
Radio Stations
WIND 560 AM
25 NW Point Blvd., Suite 400
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
219-391-8467
219-397-9974
ecdr@ecredev.com
219-397-9974, ext. 25
LTurk@ecredev.com
219-933-3200
800-753-5533
847-437-5200
http ://www. 560wind. com/
WLS 890 AM
190N. State St., 9th Floor
Chicago, IL 60601
WJOB 1230 AM
6405 Olcott Ave.
Hammond, IN 46320
WGN 720 AM
435 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
312-984-0890
http ://www. wlsam. com/
219-844-1230
http://www.wjobl230.com/
312-222-4700
http://www.wgnradio.com/
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Radio Stations (continued)
WPWX 92.3 FM
6336 Calumet Ave.
Hammond, IN 46324
WYCA 106.3 FM
6336 Calumet Ave.
Hammond, IN 46324
WNUA 95.5 FM (Spanish)
233 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60601
219-933-4455
http://www.power92chicago.com/
219-933-4455
http://soull063radio.com/
312-540-2000
http ://www. wnua. com/
WDRV 97.1 FM
875 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1510
Chicago, IL 60611
Television Stations
WLS-TV ABC 7
190 N. State St.
Chicago, IL 60601
WMAQ-TV NBC 5
454 N. Columbus Dr.
Chicago, IL 60611
312-274-9710
http://www.wdrv.com/
312-750-7777
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/index
312-836-5555
http://www.nbcchicago.com/
WTTW-TV 11
5400 N. St. Louis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
WFLD-TV FOX 32
205 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60601
WBBM-TV CBS 2
22 W. Washington St.
Chicago, IL 60602
E.C. TV-News Indiana Channel 21
400 E. Chicago Ave.
East Chicago, IN 46312
773-583-5000
http ://www. wttw. com/
773-528-2311
http ://www.myfoxchicago. com/
312-899-2222
http: //chi cago. cb si ocal. com/
219-391-8206
echgoevents@gmail.com
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Community Involvement Plan USS Lead Super fund Site
APPENDIX C
List of Interview Questions
Community Interviews conducted June 2010
1. How long have you lived/worked in the area?
2. Do you represent or are you a member of a community organization or group?
3. What do you know about the USS Lead site?
4. How did you get information about the site?
5. What concerns, if any, do you have about the problems associated with the USS Lead site
for you and your family?
6. How would you characterize the concerns of the community about the USS Lead site?
7. Who have you talked to (any local, state, or federal government agencies) about the site?
What kind of response did you receive?
8. How are you currently receiving information about the site? Would you like to be on
EPA's mailing list or email list?
9. How would you like to get information about the site cleanup? Fact sheets; workshops;
Internet; public notices; news media; public meetings
10. Have you participated in any public meetings and/or community group meetings for the
site? If so, how many?
11. Are you aware of EPA's website? Have you been on it? Is it easy to navigate?
12. What days, times, and locations would be best for public meetings?
13. What newspapers do you read?
14. Is English widely understood in this community? What other languages do people speak?
15. What other individuals might we contact for an interview?
16. Is there anything else you would like to share about the site?
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