INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 

We Protect Hoosiers and Our Environment. 

Mitr:hell E Danieu. Jr. 100 North Senate Avenue 

Governor Indianapolis. Indiana 46204 

(317) 232-8603 

Thomas W. Easterly Toll Free (800) 451-6027 

Commlssioner www.idem.IN.gov 

January 4, 2013 

Ms. Susan Hedman 


Regional Administrator 


U.S. EPA, Region V R-19J 


77 West Jackson Boulevard 


Chicago, Illinois 60604-3507 


Dear Ms. Hedman: 

Re: 	 Proposed inclusion of the 

Garden City Ground Water 

Contamination Plume, 

Garden City, 

Bartholomew County, Indiana, 

on the National Priorities list of 

Hazardous Waste Sites 

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is providing this 

letter to convey its support to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. 

EPA) regarding the inclusion of the Garden City Ground Water Contamination Plume site 

on the National Priorities List (NPL) of hazardous waste sites. The Garden City Ground 

Water Contamination Plume (CERCLIS 10 number INN000508642) has contaminated 

drinking water with trichloroethlyene (TCE) in Garden City, Indiana, and extends from the 

center of the unincorporated town southward toward one of the municipal well fields for 

the city of Columbus, Bartholomew County. The TCE plume encompasses an area of 

approximately 3.5 acres and has contaminated the drinking water above U.S. EPA 

benchmarks in at least 4 known residences, a mobile home park well serving 47 

residences, and 2 commercial drinking water wells. Low levels of TCE have also been 

detected in 2 of Columbus' municipal wells but a connection to the Garden City ground 

water plume has not been confirmed. 

The contamination in a residential well was first discovered in 1989 following a 

complaint of odors from the homeowner. IDEM has since conducted several 

investigations in the area including one known TCE disposal site (Miller Salvage), a 

former gas station (Kiel Bros.), and several fill areas where excavated soils and other 

debris were deposited. IDEM has not identified a definitive source of the contamination. 

Rer:y&d Paper ® 	 An Equal Opportunity Employer Please R(Cyc/t 0. 
Ms. Susan Hedman 

Regional Administrator 

Page 2 of2 

January 4, 2013 

IDEM continues to supply and maintain carbon filtration systems on three residential 

wells. 

This site qualifies for inclusion on the NPL because: 

1) 	 The site meets the National Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution 

Contingency Plan (NCP) criteria for listing on the NPL, scoring sufficiently high 

pursuant to the Hazard Ranking System (HRS). 

2) 	 The site requires a long-term response action. 

A NPL listing would allow for proper and timely investigation of the nature and 

extent of the contamination of the potential sources and enable the U.S. EPA to 

determine cleanup alternatives for the impacted areas, thereby protecting human health 

and the environment. The NPL listing appears to be the most viable alternative for 

addressing the existing environmental problems. 

As the Commissioner of the IDEM, I am authorized by Indiana Govemor Mitchell 

E. Daniels to act in these matters on his behalf. I have considered my staffs 

recommendations and I fully support the designation of the Garden City Ground Water 

Contamination Plume site for inclusion on the NPL. I request that the U.S. EPA assign a 

Remedial Project Manager andlor On-Scene Coordinator to implement the process. If 

you require any additional information or have any questions, please contact Richard R. 

Milton of the Site Investigation Section at 317/234-3505 or via e-mail at 

rmilton@idem.in.gov. 

Sin Iy, :/Ir--­

hom as W. Easterly 

Comrnissioner 

cc: Denise Boone, U.S. EPA 

Nuria Muniz, U.S. EPA