OSWER/OSRTI 

Washington, DC 20460 

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL) 

***Final Site*** September 2011 

GARY DEVELOPMENT LANDFILL Gary, Indiana 

Lake County 

 Site Location: 

The Gary Development Landfill site is located at 479 Cline Avenue, in the City of Gary, Lake County, in northwest 

Indiana. 

 Site History: 

The Gary Development Landfill site is comprised, largely, of a permitted solid waste landfill that operated from 

approximately 1975 to 1989. The landfill accepted hazardous waste for disposal without having obtained a Resource 

Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit or achieving interim status under RCRA. 

 Site Contamination/Contaminants: 

The landfill accepted materials including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds 

(SVOCs), asbestos, metals, and pesticides. 

 Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment: 

A release of site contaminants, including metals, SVOCs and pesticides, has been observed in a wetland adjacent to the 

southeastern portion of the landfill. Elevated levels of lead, chromium, zinc, acenaphthene, anthracene, 

benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, chrysene, 

dibenzofuran, fluoranthene, fluorene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, phenanthrene and pyrene were detected in the wetland. 

This wetland borders the Grand Calumet River, is designated as freshwater palustrine emergent wetland, and is within 

habitats known to be used by several state endangered species, including the Marsh Wren. 

 Response Activities (to date): 

An administrative complaint was filed against the operator in 1986 for RCRA violations, and a consent decree was 

finalized in 1996 that included a fine and establishment of a trust for maintenance of the landfill. As estimated costs 

for maintaining the landfill greatly exceed that of the trust, RCRA deferred the site to Superfund in 1997. 

In 2002, a Time Critical Removal Action was conducted at the Gary Development Landfill by EPA. Numerous 

containers of substances including oils, paint, insecticides, antifreeze, and electrical capacitors were removed from the 

site. 

 Need for NPL Listing: 

The State of Indiana referred the site to EPA because response actions are required to maintain the landfill and there 

are insufficient funds from a settlement with the former operator to conduct maintenance. There is no responsible party 

currently maintaining the landfill. EPA received a letter of support from the state for placing the site on the NPL. 

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may 

change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination.] 

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to 

these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on 

the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.