vvEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Public information session June 22, 2017 5-7 p.m. East Chicago Library 2401 E. Columbus Drive For more information If you want to know more about the CDF disposal approval: On the web: https://www.epa.gov/pcbs/fonns/ public-notice-risk-based-disposal- approval-united-states-anny-corps- engineers-usace http://www.in.gov/idem/cleanups/ 2406.htm Or contact: Jean Green sley U.S. EPA Region 5, Land & Chemicals Division Corrective Action Section 1 - LU-16-J 77 W. Jackson Blvd Chicago, Illinois 60604 greenslev.iean@epa.gov 312-353-1171 George Ritchotte IDEM 100 N. Senate Ave IGCN 1101 Indianapolis, IN 46204 gritchot@idem.in.gov 317-727-6907 Or visit: To see copies of documents related to the site, visit the official repository at: East Chicago Public Library Main Branch 2401 E. Columbus Drive East Chicago, IN 46312 For community involvement inquiries about this public notice, please contact: EPA Public Affairs Specialist Rafael P. Gonzalez gonzalez.rafaelp@epa.gov 800-621-8431, Ext. 60269 Information Session June 22 Scheduled for Indiana Harbor Indiana Harbor Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) East Chicago, Indiana June 2017 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Indiana Department of Environmental Management will hold an information session on the proposal to issue approvals to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the disposal of PCB-contaminated sediment that will be dredged from the Indiana Harbor and Canal. The sediment will be disposed of in an existing confined disposal facility, or CDF, constructed by the Corps on a portion of the former East Chicago Industries petroleum refinery located at 3500 Indianapolis Blvd. Indiana Harbor CDF The former refinery site is owned by the East Chicago Waterway Management District. The Army Corps began construction of the CDF in 2001. USACE has used the CDF since 2012 for the disposal of sediment contaminated with material containing less than 50 parts PCBs per million parts sediment. Parts per million is abbreviated ppm. The proposed approval would allow disposal of PCB-contaminated sediment containing more than 50 ppm. EPA and IDEM have tentatively approved the Corps" application but will wait to respond to public comments received during the comment period March 1, to March 31, which was extended to April 30, before a final decision is announced. Institutional controls present at the CDF to prevent spills or contamination include: • A slurry wall system near the western, northern and eastern property boundary. • Air monitoring around the CDF to detect PCB vapors. • A steel sheet pile anchor-wall along the southern boundary and the Lake George Branch of Indiana Harbor. • Clay dike walls encompassing and dividing the CDF into two cells. • Groundwater controls. "Groundwater" is an environmental term for underground supplies of fresh water. The CDF will contain grading and monitors to make sure the underground water flows back into the facility not away from it. Army Corp application In 2014, USACE submitted to EPA a risk-based application for the disposal of sediment from the Indiana Harbor and Canal dredging project containing PCB concentrations at or greater than 50 ppm into the CDF. A risk-based application and approvals are required for this disposal under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Approval of the Army Corps application will make the confined disposal facility a permitted toxic waste disposal facility. EPA and IDEM are not accepting comments on the draft approvals. Please see the left-hand box for information on the CDF facility. ------- |