United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region V
POLLUTION REPORT

Subject: 

The former American Lead facility is located at 2102 Hillside Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana. American Lead operated a lead smelter at this location from 1946 to 1965. In 1965, National Lead Industries, Inc. (NL Industries) acquired the property and operated a lead reclamation facility. A fire reportedly damaged the smelter building in 1970 and NL Industries removed several buildings and slag piles in 1971. After several different owners, Irving Materials, Inc., (IMI) acquired the facility in 1990. The southeastern part of the facility was formerly leased to DuraCrete and is currently leased to Adjustable Forms, Inc., a manufacturer of building products (ESE 1999).

The facility is located in a mixed residential and industrial area. During the period of lead smelting operations, lead fumes and dust would have been released from the facility as point and fugitive sources and may have contributed to lead contamination at the facility and the surrounding areas. Investigations performed by the facility contractor and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) found lead contamination in residential and non-residential soils surrounding the facility. On March 13, 2003, IDEM requested assistance from U.S. EPA Region 5 Emergency Response Branch for a removal assessment because of failed negotiations with the PRP to reach a compromise on the remedial aspect of the project. U.S. EPA’s negotiations with the PRP resulted in an administrative order that required the  PRP to characterize lead contamination in the surrounding areas of the facility (off-site) and remediate lead contaminated soil.

-EPA’s Public Relations Coordinator, Joe Munoz, coordinated the community information meeting on May 5, 2005.The meeting was held at the Oasis of Hope Baptist Church and was attended by the community, IDEM, EPA, START, Marion County Health Department and PRP’s consultants.  PRP’s contractor, Advanced GeoServices Corp. (AGC), attended the public meeting and began gaining access to properties.
-AGC personnel mobilized to the site on May 6, 2005.  AGC mailed out access agreement letters to property owners, and continued gaining access to residential properties to conduct sampling activities.AGC collected 40 residential and 20 vacant lot property soil samples during May 11 to 21, 2005.
-Residential properties were sampled by collecting 5-point composite soil samples.  One composite was collected from 0-3" and one from 6-12" depth.  Each residential property was sampled from the front yard and the backyard.  Additional samples were collected from gardens and play area, if applicable. Vacant lots were divided into four quadrants and a 5-point composite soil sample was collected from each of quadrant and from 0-3" and 6-12" depth
-AGC screened 27 residential and 14 vacant lots soil samples for lead with an  X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) instrument on May 11 and 14, 2005.  On May 18, AGC shipped 20 samples to an off-site laboratory for lead analysis and to correlate the results with the XRF. AGC conducted XRF screening on remaining samples on May 26, 2005 .  AGC also shipped 30 samples to an off-site laboratory for XRF correlation results.
-AGC currently has signed access agreements for 105 properties and sampled 60 properties.  Of those 60, six had XRF lead readings below the cleanup action level of 400 ppm. The other 54 properties would have to be partially or completed remediated. AGC demobilized from the site on May 27, 2005.

1) PRP will continue gaining access agreements to properties.
2) PRP will continue to sample properties where access agreements have been signed.

1) PRP will set up staging area for removal activities.
2) Begin excavation of those properties that have had XRF screenings above 400 ppm.

-PRP needs to set up an office location in local area for local residents to get information.
-Treatment and staging permit issues have to be resolved with IDEM and the city.