At the request of
Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), EPA was requested to consider the Sandusky Abrasives Site in Michigan City, Indiana for a removal action. EPA mobilized to the Site on June 16, 2023 to begin the removal action process by conducting a site assessment by selecting
and identifying the boring locations for the soil samples. By the end of the day, 50 of the 75 boring
locations were identified and marked with flags. On June 19, 2023, EPA began the geoprobe
drilling and collection of soil samples. After arriving on Site, setting up the
required equipment, and completing the identification and marking of the
remaining 25 sample locations, soil sampling began at noon. EPA monitored air
continuously with a DustTrak throughout the week of June 19, 2023 and the DustTrak
was set in the vicinity of sample processing and drilling activities. Overall, EPA
and START collected 425 samples from 1-foot intervals of 77 soil borings across
the Site. EPA photographed the site and documented the location of each sample
taken in a logbook in accordance with the approved Sampling and Analysis Plan
(SAP).
The USEPA began cleanup on October 21, 2024, at the
Sandusky Abrasives site in Michigan City, Indiana. EPA crews will remove
lead-contaminated soil at the former Sandusky Chicago Abrasive Wheel Company,
Inc., located at 1100 West Barker Ave, transporting the waste to an
EPA-approved facility. Work is estimated to take 2-4 months to complete.
EPA will use an excavator to dig up
contaminated soil, spraying it with water to control any dust. Crews will also
set up air monitoring around the property’s perimeter to ensure any emissions
stay within the site’s boundaries. Residents should be aware that there may be
short site-related road closures while soil is excavated and backfilled in
certain areas.