Residents are questioning the environmental impacts of a demolition project in East Chicago, a report by the Northwest Indiana Times says. Around 70 residents attended the meeting June 26 for the demolition of the West Calumet Housing Complex.
Despite the complex being in zone 1 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) USS Lead Superfund site, preliminary findings from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said demolition of the site would have no impact on the environment.
According to the report, a HUD handout from the meeting said there are currently no plans for the site after the complex’s demolition but the EPA says it plans to clean the property to residential standards. A letter from Mayor Anthony Copeland was given to the EPA and requested the EPA to support efforts to return the site to residential use.
A remediation plan was prepared by the East Chicago Housing Authority by Amereco Engineering Inc., Valparasio, Indiana, that stated demolition of the complex was necessary to protect human health. John Blosky, Amereco environmental engineer, says water will be sprayed continuously on building materials during the demolition and loaded onto trucks to be taken to landfill.
Blosky also says that rain water will be collected and filtered before being put into the city sewer system and that air samples will be collected at the site and its perimeter for airborne asbestos fibers, dust, arsenic and lead.
Wind screens will also be present at the site, placed on security fencing to slow the wind that may contain dust. According to the report, demolition will stop completely if the wind gets too high.
EPA will monitor Amereco’s work and is considering posting air monitoring data online during the process if available.
Since HUD made preliminary determinations of the site’s environmental impacts, an environmental impact is not required, the report says, but residents are requesting one.
No more results found. Despite the complex being in zone 1 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) USS Lead Superfund site, preliminary findings from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said demolition of the site would have no impact on the environment.
According to the report, a HUD handout from the meeting said there are currently no plans for the site after the complex’s demolition but the EPA says it plans to clean the property to residential standards. A letter from Mayor Anthony Copeland was given to the EPA and requested the EPA to support efforts to return the site to residential use.
A remediation plan was prepared by the East Chicago Housing Authority by Amereco Engineering Inc., Valparasio, Indiana, that stated demolition of the complex was necessary to protect human health. John Blosky, Amereco environmental engineer, says water will be sprayed continuously on building materials during the demolition and loaded onto trucks to be taken to landfill.
Blosky also says that rain water will be collected and filtered before being put into the city sewer system and that air samples will be collected at the site and its perimeter for airborne asbestos fibers, dust, arsenic and lead.
Wind screens will also be present at the site, placed on security fencing to slow the wind that may contain dust. According to the report, demolition will stop completely if the wind gets too high.
EPA will monitor Amereco’s work and is considering posting air monitoring data online during the process if available.
Since HUD made preliminary determinations of the site’s environmental impacts, an environmental impact is not required, the report says, but residents are requesting one.