Return to Use Initiative
2006 Demonstration Project
Augustus Hook: Frankfort,IN
THE SITE: The 13-acre Augustus Hook site is located immediately south of and across State Road 28 from
the former Ingram-Richardson plant in Frankfort, Clinton County, Indiana. Ingram-Richardson Inc., a porcelain
enamel manufacturing plant, purchased the Augustus Hook property, and used the site as a disposal area
for the plant operation wastes beginning some time after 1953.The plant wastes were used to fill in a four
to six-acre wetland area at the Augustus Hook site.The wastes were believed to include broken porcelain,
rejected products, clay, ash, metal, general factory debris, and frit. Of these wastes, frit was believed to be
the only potential waste of environmental concern. Frit is a grainy, ground glass material. When fired at high
temperatures, it is converted into porcelain glaze. Some of the metals used in frit are potentially toxic and
include lead, nickel, cobalt, and chromium. Cleanup actions began in
1996,when EPA conducted a removal action to excavate waste materials
from the north area of the site.The area was then backfilled with clean
clay and tested with an x-ray fluorescent unit to ensure they were
clean. EPA performed a second removal action in 1997 to pump and
treat lead-contaminated water. According to a 1997 Pollution Report,
all contaminated soil has been removed from the site, and the site is
available for industrial, commercial,or recreational use.
Barrier:
Superfund site stigma
Solution:
Ongoing efforts to provide clear
and understandable information
about the site and protective
future uses through a Ready for
Reuse Determination
THE OPPORTUNITY: The site, which is located in an ideal commercial
location in Frankfort, has been cleaned to allow for commercial,
recreational, or industrial future use. The property owner and local
government are interested in seeing the property used for commercial purposes.The surrounding region has
sustained significant economic growth.Commercial and industrial growth in Clinton County has increased in
recent years.
THE BARRIER: Despite its remediation status, information about the cleanup and possible future land uses is
not well known in the community. Its history as a contaminated property and long-vacant status have led to
stigma.The site has remained fenced but clean for the past eight years.
THE SOLUTION: The Augustus Hook Superfund site was cleaned up by the Superfund Program through a
series of removal actions. During stakeholder involvement processes, it became clear that the predominant
barrier to reuse of the site was uncertainty about the levels of cleanup
and protective future uses.The information maintained by EPA provided
sufficient detail about the level of cleanup to allow Region 5 to create a
Ready for Reuse (RfR) Determination for the site. Once completed, the
RfR Determination will be the first of two such environmental status
reports written for removal sites.
Before:
Former dump for a manufacturing
facility
THE SITE NOW: Region 5 expects to complete the RfR Determination for
the site early in 2006. Region 5 is also considering ways to highlight how
the Region and local community were able to work together to remove
After:
Potential commercial opportunity
for the City of Frankfort
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
1

-------
barriers at the site and return it to productive use in the local community.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Tom Bloom, the Region 5 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator at
312.886.1967 or bloom.thomas@epa.gov.
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
2

-------