In late October 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began cleaning up lead contaminated soil in yards of homes near the demolished Exide Battery facility in Logansport, Indiana.
EPA will return to the Exide Corporation Site in Logansport, Indiana to continue its cleanup of lead contaminated soils in residential yards near the demolished Exide Battery facility starting April 1, 2024. EPA completed an initial cleanup of 5 priority properties at the Site in the Fall of 2023 and will be continuing cleanup of the remaining impacted properties.
Residents should expect increased traffic in the neighborhood while crews work to remove the contaminated soil. EPA will monitor the air during excavation and crews will take precautionary measures to make sure the contaminated soil remains securely contained when hauled away to the approved landfill.
The following information is from the EPA website at response.epa.gov.
Exide Technologies operated the site at 303 Water Street as a lead-acid storage battery manufacturing facility for the automotive industry from about 1960 to approximately 1989, before fully shutting down in 2009. The former building was demolished in 2016 and has since been vacant.
EPA and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) investigated lead-contaminated soil in the area. Testing and site assessments found elevated lead in some properties near the facility. Several yards had lead concentrations above EPA standards of 400 parts per million. Not every property sampled demonstrated excessive lead levels, so EPA will clean-up yards within the area that do have the elevated lead concentrations.
The clean-up will be conducted at no cost to property owners or residents. High lead levels pose a risk, especially to children’s health. This clean-up, or removal action, will be considered “time-critical” because the lead poses an immediate health threat. It will consist of an approach called “dig and haul” of contaminated soil to an approved landfill.
There may be increased traffic in the neighborhood as crews excavate and transport contaminated soil to approved landfill. The crews will take precautionary measures to make sure the contaminated soil remains securely contained while it travels. EPA will also monitor the air during excavation.
EPA hosted a public information session to present information on the clean-up and answer questions from residents on Wednesday, October 18, 2023. Approximately 30 people attended.
EPA plans to complete cleanup of 5 priority properties this year, demobilize, and return next spring to
complete cleanup of the remaining 14 properties and any additional properties at the site found to have high concentrations of lead. A priority property is defined at the site as a property containing lead concentrations 1,200 ppm, or concentrations >400 ppm with sensitive receptors residing at the property
If you are a property owner of a residence in the area west of the facility on Balsam or Aster Street, or the area north of the facility up to Columbia/N 3rd Street, please consider joining the public availability session and signing the voluntary access agreement to give permission to collect soil samples on your property. This work is being done for your health and safety and will be at NO COST to you.
Mail, email or fax the access agreement to:
Lauren Hirschel (hirschel.lauren@epa.gov)
77 W Jackson Blvd (SE-5J)
Chicago, Illinois 60604
fax: 312-980-8733
If you have any questions, you may contact Lauren Hirschel, the On-Scene Coordinator, at 312-480-7976. You can also contact Francisco Arcaute, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, at 312-886-7613.