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Indiana Harbor & Shipping Canal Confined Disposal Facility (CDF)

United States Army Corps of Engineers PCB Approval for the Disposal of PCB Impacted Sediment in the CDF

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), in conjunction with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region V (collectively known as the Agencies) are preparing to issue PCB Alternative Disposal approvals to the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the disposal of PCB impacted sediments that will be dredged from the Indiana Harbor Shipping Canal. The sediments will be disposed in the “confined disposal facility” constructed by USACE on the former East Chicago Industries (ECI) property located at 3500 Indianapolis Blvd in East Chicago, Indiana.

Institutional controls present at the CDF include:

  • a slurry wall system near the western, northern, and eastern boundary of the property;
  • the installation of a steel sheet pile anchor wall along the southern boundary and the Lake George Branch of the Indiana Shipping Canal (IHC);
  • the installation of a groundwater gradient control system including approximately
    • ninety six (96) extraction wells,
    • forty (40) monitoring wells,
    • two (2) ultrasonic water level indicators, and associated instrumentation and control building,
    • fourteen (14) groundwater piezometers {seven (7) pairs located on the four corners and the midpoint of the three non-sheet pile sides},and
    • the clay dike walls encompassing and dividing the two cells.

The Agencies believe that these institutional controls and the “Conditions of Approval”, listed in the approval will allow these impacted sediments to be disposed in a manner protective of human health and the environment.

The Agencies’ draft approvals, as well as the permit application, are available for public review through the IDEM Virtual File Cabinet. Search using the following document numbers:

  • Permit application: 80417606
  • IDEM draft approval: 80418470
  • U.S. EPA draft approval: 80418453

An electronic copy will also be made available for review at:

East Chicago Public Library
Main Branch
2401 East Columbus Drive
East Chicago, IN 46312

Note: the dates for the public meeting and public comment period have past.

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