NIPSCO to Cleanup Contaminated Coal Ash
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The U.S. Department of Justice says Merrillville-based Northern Indiana Public Service Co. will spend $11.8 million to resolve federal and state Superfund liability for the cleanup of coal ash in the town of Pines. The DOJ says the ash came from a NIPSCO power plant and was distributed as landscaping fill around homes in the Porter County town.
The soils contaminated by coal ash contain hazardous substances including arsenic, thallium and lead.
“This settlement is a critical step toward the remediation of the site and will minimize risks to owners of contaminated property and to the environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
The consent decree requires NIPSCO, which is a subsidiary of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), to identify residential soil contamination, remove the contaminated soils, and have it placed in a licensed waste disposal facility.
In addition to providing clean backfill, NIPSCO is also required to cover the costs associated with monitoring residential drinking water wells.
“This settlement will help protect the environment and the health of people in northwest Indiana by cleaning up coal ash from residential properties,” said Administrator Debra Shore of EPA Region 5. “Removing contaminated soil and monitoring groundwater at the Town of Pines site is a vital part of this settlement with NIPSCO.”
The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. Click here to learn more about the settlement.