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ECI South Tank Farm

 
Site Contact:
Jacob Hassan
On-Scene Coordinator

(hassan.jacob@epa.gov)

Site Location:
3700 Indianapolis Boulevard
East Chicago, IN 46312
 response.epa.gov/ECISouthTankFarm

The ECI South Tank Farm Site is a former tank farm associated with the former ECI Refinery, located in East Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. Several of the former refinery parcels border the Lake George Branch of the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal (Canal). Oil has been documented in the Canal adjacent to the Site. Arco currently operates a passive oil collection system on the ECI South Tank Farm and manages oil containment boom in the canal. EPA is in negotiations with Indiana Department of Environmental Management, East Chicago, and Arco for investigation and clean up of this parcel and several others associated with the former ECI Refinery. EPA is planning a site assessment to document site conditions and characterize the Site. The United States Coast Guard has requested individual FPNs for each parcel associated with the ECI Refinery. EPA has documented the threat of discharge of oil from the South Tank Farm and West Tank Farm. Additional information can be located on the Indianapolis Boulevard Bridge Mystery Oil website www.epaosc.org/IBBMO and the ECI - West Tank Farm website www.epaosc.org/ECIWestTankFarm.

On September 16, 2014, EPA collected five (5) soil samples from the bank of the West Tank Farm and five (5) water/sheen samples to determine threat of discharge.

On March 11, 2015, EPA received notification from USFWS on distressed / deceased waterfowl on the Site. On March 12, 2015, EPA and START mobilized to the Site, documented deceased and distressed waterfowl. OSC Atkociunas directed the RP to conduct removal actions to assess the threat to waterfowl and conduct mitigation activities. On March 12, 2015, the RP mobilized wildlife support. EPA and START are conducting oversight activities and coordinating with stakeholders.


View of LIF boring in the western portion of the South Tank Farm View of a LIF boring in the northeastern portion of the South Tank Farm View of a boring location post-boring, marked for future geolocation View of drilling contractor installing LIF boring along the Lake George Branch View of drilling contractor installing LIF boring along the Lake George Branch View of installation of a LIF boring along the Lake George Branch View of RP contractor gauging a monitoring well on the South Tank Farm View of cormorant taking off from the Lake George Branch adjacent to the South Tank Farm View of petroleum sheen along the bank of the South Tank Farm View of egret eating a fish captured from the Lake George Branch adjacent to the South Tank Farm View of petroleum sheen seeping from the bank of the South Tank Farm Containment boom submerged at the anchor point. Bank of the ECI Site is located at the foreground. Cormorant flying over the Lake George Branch. Note boom in foreground. View of Double-crested cormorant in the Lake George Branch adjacent to the South Tank Farm View of Double-crested cormorant in the Lake George Branch adjacent to the South Tank Farm View of Double-crested cormorant in the Lake George Branch adjacent to the South Tank Farm Sheen / oil discharging from bank. Note heavy sheen between the bank and boom. View of submerged portion of containment boom along the ECI - South Tank Farm. View of petroleum mousse and sheen at the southern end of the eastern-most containment boom across the Lake George Branch. Oil discharging from bank of ECI South Tank Farm Site. Oil / sheen visible from ECI South Tank Farm bank. Note boom in background and staining on soils in foreground. Breach in containment boom on south shore of the ECI South Tank Farm Wildlife deterrent placed in trees along the bank. Boom replacement and repair on the south shore of ECI South Tank Farm Waterfowl on ice located on the western end of the Lake George Canal within the ECI South Tank Farm Site. Free product and sheen within boom on the south bank of the ECI South Tank Farm Site. Diving ducks within the channel at the ECI South Tank Farm Site Sheen and product at the ECI South Tank Farm View looking northwest at sheen Sheen and book looking north from the ECI South Tank Farm View looing north at the ECI West Tank Farm site. View looking north at ECI West Tank Farm, note boom and sheen in water. Boom and sheen on ECI South Tank Farm southern bank. ECI South Tank Farm Boat Ramp. Distressed diver ducks and boom, View of impacted soil at sample location ECI-01. Note sheen/presence of oil on water of IHSC immediately adjacent to sample location. When weight was placed on the bank, noticeable amounts of free product were expelled into the IHSC. View of impacted soil at sample location ECI-05. Visible dark staining indicates presence of contamination. Note presence of sheen on the IHSC adjacent to the sample location. View of impacted soil at sample location ECI-04. Visible dark staining and free product were observed at this location. View of degraded oil mousse on Lake George Branch of IHSC. View of impacted soil at sample location ECI-04. Great Blue Heron observed flying over the Lake George Branch adjacent to the ECI South Tank Farm. ECI South Tank Farm in background. Note presence of oil between shoreline and containment boom. Lake George Branch. ECI South Tank Farm located to the left. Note presence of boom along the shoreline. Note oil between boom and shoreline. North Bank of the ECI Site (foreground and to the right). Note staining in foreground and boom. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm. Note staining and presence of boom (right). North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (right). Note boom in foreground and sheen / oil present. North Bank of the ECI Site (right) and the Lake George Branch. Note the staining at the bank and presence of sheen. Close up of the North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm and the Lake George Branch. Note material / heavy staining / sheen present. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm to the right. Note presence of containment boom across the Lake George Branch and the presence of sheen to the west (left side of boom). North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (foreground). Note staining of the bank and the presence of sheen between the bank and containment boom. Close up of the North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm. Note staining / material at the bank. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (foreground) and Lake George Branch. Note staining / material at the bank. Note the presence of containment boom and the sheen present between the bank and the boom. Note the USACE activity to the North. Close up of the North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm. Note staining / material at the shoreline. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm. Note material / staining at the shoreline. Lake George Branch while standing on the North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm. Note the presence of containment boom and the sheen present between the bank and the boom. Note the USACE activity to the North. North bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (foreground). Note containment boom to the North and presence of sheen between the bank and the boom. Close up of the North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm. Note the brick, concrete, gravel and staining / material adjacent to the tree. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (right) and Lake George Branch. Note staining on bank to the right. Note the presence of containment boom to the North and the sheen present between the bank and the boom. Close up of the North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (foreground) and Lake George Branch. Note staining and the presence of material at the bank. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (foreground) and Lake George Branch. Note the presence of containment boom to the North and the sheen present between the bank and the boom. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (foreground) and the Lake George Branch. Note heavy staining / material at bank / in the water between the bank and the containment boom. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (right) and Lake George Branch. Note staining / material at the bank. Note the presence of containment boom to the North and the sheen present between the bank and the boom. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (foreground) and Lake George Branch. Note the staining / material at the shoreline. Note the presence of containment boom to the North and the sheen present between the bank and the boom. Close-up of sheen between the North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (foreground) and the containment boom. Note USACE activity to the North. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (foreground) and Lake George Branch. Note the presence of containment boom to the North and the sheen present between the bank and the boom. Note the USACE activity to the North. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (foreground) and Lake George Branch. Note the presence of containment boom to the North and the sheen present between the bank and the boom. Note the USACE barge to the North. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (foreground) and Lake George Branch. Note the presence of containment boom to the North and the sheen present between the bank and the boom. North bank of the ECI South Tank Farm. Note staining. North bank of the ECI South Tank Farm (foreground) and Lake Geoerge Branch. Note presence of sheen between the ECI South Tank Farm Bank and the Containment boom to the North. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm. Note staining of rock and sheening. North Bank of the ECI South Tank Farm. Note presence of sheen between the bank and containment boom. North Bank of ECI South Tank Farm - note stained rock and sheen on Lake George Branch.
For additional information, visit the Pollution/Situation Report (Pol/Sitreps) section.