USS Lead Superfund Site
The USS Lead Superfund site includes part of the former USS Lead facility along with nearby commercial, municipal and residential areas. The primary contaminants of concern are lead and arsenic. The USS Lead site was listed on the National Priorities List of the worst contaminated sites in the country in 2009. The Superfund site is broken into two Operable Units. The first, OU1, has been divided into three zones. These zones include a public housing complex and residential properties. OU2 includes soil at the former USS Lead facility, as well as groundwater beneath both that facility and the residential neighborhoods.
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Ongoing Cleanup Operations at the Former Housing Complex/Goodman Park (Operational Unit 1, Modified Zone 1)
Under EPA oversight, Industrial Development Advantage of East Chicago (IDA) and its contractors have conducted cleanup of lead-contaminated soil at the former West Calumet Housing Complex property. Since Fall 2023, over 84,000 tons of contaminated soil has been excavated from the Site and replaced with nearly 34,000 tons of clean fill. As of July 2024, IDA has completed approximately 85% of the cleanup activities. The remaining work at the site will be bringing in and spreading clean fill.
To the east of the Site along McCook Avenue are underground petroleum pipelines which prohibit the use of heavy excavation equipment which may damage the underlying pipeline. IDA and their contractors are evaluating strategies to address these contaminated soils within the petroleum pipeline corridor.
As IDA nears completion of the lead contaminated soil cleanup, there will be a transition to preparing the Site for redevelopment which involves the importation of additional fill material to further raise the ground surface for future development.
IDA is required to take measures to minimize dust during transportation, excavation, and backfill activities. Onsite air monitoring is being conducted. EPA and its representatives remain onsite full time during cleanup activities.