Nearly 50 year ago, toxic coal Ash from a Power Plant was used as filler in yards, at construction sites, and under roads in northern Indiana.
Thirty-years later, federal agencies and state agencies discovered that it was contaminating the town’s aquifer and posing a health threat to many of the 600 residents.
It wasn’t until the end of last week that however, the U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyNorthern Indiana Public Service Co. NIPSCOWe reached an agreement about how to clean up all contamination in the Town Pines
According to a, NIPSCO will remove soil contamination by coal ash at homes located within the Superfund site in Porter County. consent decreeFriday filing in federal court It agreed to pay almost $12 million.
Nick Meyer, NiSource’s spokesperson, said that protecting human health and the environment are vital. This is the main focus of NIPSCO’s work in the Town of Pines, and it will continue to be under the Consent Decree.
The town and Superfund Site are located about four miles west Michigan City and approximately one mile south Lake Michigan. The utility has the authority to test the soil at 400 homes and business in the town, where coal ash was used for fill during construction.
Coal ash, which results from burning coal to produce electricity, is a dangerous mixture of heavy metals as well as toxic chemicals like mercury, boron, lead, and arsenic. According to state sampling, these toxins can leach into the water supply.
Indiana is home to the Most pits hold the cancer-causing byproductany state in the nation. It has been tested. Nearly all of Indiana’s coal-ash sites have been contaminatedNearby groundwater is not safe for drinking.
The situation in Town of Pines does not differ.
Some residents and environmental activists expressed concern and frustration at the slow pace of the clean-up. The EPA knew about the pollution in the town, which has more than 700 inhabitants, for almost two decades.
Why is NIPSCO still cleaning the toxic mess after twenty years? Lisa Evans, a senior lawyer for Earthjustice, asked the question. She is a specialist in coal ash. It is important to remember that this site isn’t a waste dump. This Superfund site can be described as a community where people live.
Meyer of NIPSCO said that the consent decree was a reflection of a continuing effort to address the coal-ash contamination that has existed for years and that the utility is committedto completing that work.
Decades of coal-ash dumps
The problems with coal ash in Town of Pines date back to decades ago. NIPSCO dumped over a million tons coal ash in a landfill on top of the town’s aquifer. This was for many years. The town and its residents were also offered coal ash to be used in landscaping and construction roads.
High levels of heavy Metals, such as those in coal ash, can lead to a variety of health issues. It can cause nervous system damage and increase risk for certain types of cancer. However, these dangers were not made public at the time. Contaminated ash was spread around the town.
Coal ashOther states require utilities to dig up toxic coal-ash. It is being left there by Indiana.
Soon, the toxins in coal ash began to leach into the groundwater. 1999 was the first year that residents began complaining about the taste of their drinking water from their wells.
In 2001, Indianas environment agency tested several private drinking water wells throughout Pines. The results were alarming. The EPA conducted additional testing in the following year. It found that water wells at 30 out of 100 homes were polluted.
The nearest coal ash landfill was identified as the source.
This is when the town gets its name. It was designated a Superfund siteFederal oversight began. EPA worked closely with NIPSCO to install water lines in many homes and hook them up to the Michigan City municipal water supply.
Meyer said that in the early 2000s, about 270 residents and businesses were connected. Other property owners living in the area were also offered bottled water, provided they remained on well water. Additional testing determined that the water from these homes was safe.
Although the groundwater impact work was quick, it took almost a decade for attention to turn to the soil used as fill at homes and businesses.
NIPSCO sampled soils at several properties near the Town of Pines in 2014 at the request from the EPA. Seven homes were found to have high levels of arsenic (a key indicator of coal-ash contamination).
The landfill first polluted the towns water and now it’s an issue at everyone’s homes, said Diana Lawrence (a Town of Pines resident who is also a member of the local Zoning Board). When all this started, we didn’t know the dangers of coal ash. But now we do.
Meyer stated that the results were so alarming that Meyer reached out to the entire town and set up a plan to clean it up. In recent years, three feet worth of contaminated soil have been removed. Removed from 19 properties around the townIncluding a community park.
Residents and environmentalists love to see that there is work being done but they don’t think it is enough.
Will the town finally have a plan that is effective and efficient to remove all toxic coal ash fill? Evans asked.
Take a look at every property
This is where consent decrees can help.
Many homes and properties weren’t included in the initial round. This means that others could be living with toxic coal-ash in their yards without realizing it.
Meyer stated that significant cleanup efforts have been made in recent decades. NIPSCO will still sample 400 additional properties in the town, where testing was not required or requested by the owners.
Meyer explained that the Consent Decree outlines a comprehensive approach to sampling every property in the Town for coal ash.
NIPSCO is required to excavate any soil contaminated with levels exceeding the EPAs standards. It will need to transport the contaminated material in a licensed waste disposal center.
To ensure contamination does not migrate further, the utility must maintain clean soil, monitor groundwater, surface water, and drinking water wells. All this work is expected cost to be close to $11.8 million.
Meyer said that each property affected will be dealt with in a systematic and thorough manner. This includes validating samples, and reaching consensus among property owners about individual clean up plans.
Coal ashIndiana has the most toxic coal-ash pits. According to the EPA, it is time to clean them.
Lawrence is one of the homeowners who will soon start negotiations to clean up her property.
Her family still uses a private water source with reverse osmosis filtering because it was safe for her water. The soils around her house tested at almost 660 parts per Million for arsenic, more than 20 times the EPAs standard to trigger cleanup within the town.
Lawrence, who has been living in the town for many years, said these statistics are very concerning. How can anyone be safe when they see these arsenic levels?
Lawrence said that she wouldn’t buy the property where she and husband live if she knew about the issues. Her husband was recently diagnosed with rare sinus and nasal cancer. Although she cannot say if the coal ash contributed to his cancer, she knows that heavy metals like arsenic or chromium can cause such types of cancer.
To determine whether the water or soil have had an impact on residents’ health, a health study has not been done in the town. Lawrence would also like to see this done.
She said that while I understand that we all need utility help, I want them to do right for my family and our community. I want them to be responsible for the town, and the homes that they now know have contamination.
Meyer stated that the consent decree will be the next step to make sure that happens.
NIPSCO encourages property owner to contact NIPSCO so they can have their yards tested.
The cleanup will be managed by the EPA, Indiana and NISPCO. The utility will also reimburse EPA for a large portion of its past costs, and will pay all future expenses incurred by the federal or state agencies in order to oversee the clean-up.
The consent decree was filed at the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Indiana. There is a 30-day comment period during which the public can weigh-in on it. Once signed by the Court, the decree will be effective.
Sarah Bowman, IndyStar reporter, can be reached at 317-444-6129. [email protected]. Follow her on TwitterAnd Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStars’ environmental reporters:Join Facebook’s Scrub.
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