Tell City land owners reach settlement with General Electric
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowMore than five dozen land owners in Tell City have reached a settlement with General Electric, which had been accused of releasing hazardous materials in the area.
The Courier & Press in Evansville reports the residents sued the company in October 2020, claiming that the materials found in the soil and groundwater at GE’s former manufacturing facility created a negative impact on their properties.
The city of Tell City was also a plaintiff in the case, along with the 64 individual residents. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but the parties noted that the settlement is not an admission of liability from GE.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management said on its website that GE operated the plant at 13th and Payne streets from the 1940s through to 2005.
“During the time of GE’s operations here, it used and stored solvents at the facility as part of its manufacturing processes. GE also generated hazardous waste, which was stored on-site,” IDEM said.
The agency said GE found volatile organic compounds in the groundwater and soil at the facility and beyond its property boundary.
Remediation work at the site is ongoing, the publication reported, and Tell City Mayor Chris Cail said in a news release that once that effort is completed, the city will have the opportunity to purchase the property with plans for redevelopment.
“We are thrilled that the settlement will enable the city to greatly enhance the quality of life, quality of place, and quality of opportunity for this neighborhood and its residents through redevelopment of this former manufacturing site,” Cail said.
A spokesperson for GE said in a statement that the company continues to work with IDEM to evaluate cleanup alternatives and is “committed to preparing the site for future reuse.”