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News Releases from Region 05

EPA oversees installation of groundwater monitoring wells at the USS Lead Superfund site, East Chicago, Ind.

11/27/2018
Contact Information: 
Rachel Bassler (bassler.rachel@epa.gov)
312-886-7159

For Immediate Release No. 18-OPA072

CHICAGO (Nov. 27, 2018) – In late November and early December, the U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will oversee the installation of 10 additional groundwater monitoring wells in zones 1, 2, and 3 of the USS Lead Superfund site in East Chicago, Ind. 

The new wells will be included in the EPA’s ongoing study of groundwater quality throughout the entire Superfund site, including the 79-acre former USS Lead facility on Kennedy Ave. and 151st Street. The potentially responsible parties will install the wells under EPA's supervision. Over the next year, EPA will monitor the wells to determine whether the groundwater is contaminated. The agency will provide quarterly updates on data and progress.

EPA is using a phased approach for its groundwater study and additional wells may be installed. The investigation will provide data necessary to determine the extent of remaining contamination at the former USS Lead facility and its impact -- if any -- on groundwater at the nearby residential areas. Lake Michigan supplies water to all homes in East Chicago.  

For more information about the site, visit: https://www.epa.gov/uss-lead-superfund-site.

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Superfund Task Force. In May 2017 EPA established a task force to restore the Superfund program to its rightful place at the center of the Agency's core mission to protect health and the environment. epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force.