Untied States
Environmental Protection
Agency

OSWER/OSRTI
Washington, DC 20460

* * *Final Site * * *

December 2013

BECK'S LAKE South Bend, Indiana

St. Joseph County

(?) Site Location:

The Beck's Lake site consists of an area of contaminated soil located at the intersection of Washington and Falcon
Streets on the northwest side of South Bend, Indiana and adjacent to LaSalle Park.

xl Site History:	

The property now known as Beck's Lake/LaSalle Park in South Bend, Indiana was once used as a dump and landfill.
Numerous companies and individuals, including Bendix Corporation, reportedly dumped a variety of materials
containing hazardous substances at this location. Historical aerial photos indicate that dumping occurred for more than
40 years at the site ending in the mid-1950s. From the 1950s to the present this area has been turned into a park and
some residential housing by the City of South Bend.

I Site Contamination/Contaminants:

Potential waste materials dumped at the site included, but were not limited to: asbestos, plating wastes, solvents, paint
wastes, oils and sludges and foundry sand. Foundry sand and hydroxide sludge contained arsenic. High levels of
arsenic have been found in the park and neighborhood surface soils. Other metals found with elevated levels (lead and
cadmium) have also been detected in park surface soils.

-------