**IDEM**

**ed Paper INDIANA**  **DEPARTMENT OF**  **ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT**  **We Protect** **}Joos;ers and Our** **Environn1ent. 100**  **N. Senate** **Avenue •**  **Indianapolis, IN** **46204 (800)**  **451-6027 •**  **(317) 232-8603**  **• www.idem.lN.gov Michael R.**  **Pence Gol'enwr**  **Thomas W. Easterly**  **Commissioner**

**June 30,**  **2015 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 West**  **Vermont Contaminated**  **Drinking Water**  **Site, Indianapolis,**  **Marion 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 inclusion**  **of the**  **West Vermont**  **Contaminated Drinking** **Water site**  **on the**  **National Priorities**  **List (NPL)**  **of hazardous** **waste sites.**  **The West** **Vermont Contaminated**  **Drinking Water** **site, SEMS**  **ID number**  **INN000510429, is**  **a ground**  **water plume** **that encompasses**  **an area**  **of approximately**  **21.5 acres.**  **The site**  **includes three**  **residential wells**  **with vinyl**  **chloride contamination**  **in Indianapolis,**  **Marion County,**  **Indiana. There**  **are 20**  **additional residential**  **homes within**  **the area**  **that obtain**  **drinking water**  **from their**  **private wells**  **that may**  **be subject**  **to the**  **contamination.**
**IDEM has**  **identified two**  **(2) sources**  **of contamination,**  **Genuine Parts**  **and Michigan**  **Plaza. The**  **responsible parties**  **are currently**  **enrolled in**  **IDEM's Voluntary**  **Remediation Program**  **(VRP), however,**  **one of** **the parties**  **in particular,**  **Michigan Plaza,**  **has been**  **difficult to** **work with**  **and reluctant**  **to fully**  **address U.S.**  **EPA's and**  **IDEM's environmental concerns.**  **For instance, the**  **responsible parties for**  **Michigan Plaza**  **injected a** **vegetable-oil based**  **product, CAP**  **18, into**  **the ground**  **water as**  **part of**  **their remedy**  **before fully**  **investigating and** **delineating their**  **source areas.**  **This lack**  **of understanding**  **of release**  **mechanisms, extent**  **of contamination,**  **and aquifer**  **geochemistry likely**  **underestimated the**  **mass and**  **extent of**  **contamination, and**  **without a**  **complete understanding of** **source areas**  **may have**  **resulted in**  **an over**  **production of**  **vinyl chloride**  **in the**  **ground water**  **that has**  **impacted the**  **residential wells.**
**VRP accepted**  **Genuine Parts**  **and Michigan**  **Plaza into**  **the program**  **in 1999**  **and 2006,**  **respectively. They**  **have remained**  **in VRP**  **since that**  **time and**  **despite repeated**  **requests by**  **IDEM, still**  **have not**  **determined the**  **nature and**  **extent of** **contamination. In** **addition, VRP**  **staff** 

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**A State** **that �**  **An Equal**  **Opportunity Employer**  **• Recycl** **Ms. Susan Hedman**  **Regional Administrator**  **Page 2**  **of2**

**has asked**  **the responsible parties**  **to investigate**  **potential vapor**  **intrusion into the**  **nearby residential**  **homes. This**  **investigation has**  **not been**  **conducted.**
**In a**  **meeting with**  **U.S. EPA,**  **Region V,**  **on April**  **29, 2015,**  **the PRPs**  **did not**  **agree to**  **conduct time-critical**  **removal actions**  **under an**  **Administrative Settlement**  **Agreement and**  **Order on**  **Consent. If** **the PRPs**  **had agreed**  **to conduct**  **the time-critical**  **removal actions**  **(connecting 23**  **residents to**  **municipal water), conduct**  **a vapor**  **intrusion investigation/mitigation**  **program and**  **reimburse EPA**  **the $1**  **million dollars**  **they owe**  **in past**  **costs, EPA** **would have**  **no longer**  **considered this**  **site for** **inclusion on**  **the National**  **Priorities List**  **(NPL) as**  **a Superfund**  **site.**
**This site**  **qualifies for** **inclusion on**  **the NPL**  **because: 1)**  **The site**  **meets the**  **National Oil and**  **Hazardous Substances**  **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.** 
**An 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**  **clean up**  **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**  **IDEM, I**  **am authorized**  **by Indiana**  **Governor Michael**  **R. Pence**  **to act**  **in these**  **matters on**  **his behalf.**  **I have**  **considered my**  **staff's recommendations** **and I**  **fully support**  **the designation**  **of the**  **West Vermont**  **Drinking Water**  **Contamination site**  **for inclusion**  **on the**  **NPL. I**  **request that**  **the U.S.**  **EPA assign**  **a Remedial**  **Project Manager**  **and/or On-Scene**  **Coordinator to**  **implement the**  **process. If**  **you require**  **any additional**  **information or** **have any**  **questions, please**  **contact Mark** **Jaworski of** **the Site**  **Investigation Program** **at 317** **/233-2407 or**  **via e-mail**  **at mjaworsk@idem.in.gov.** 

**· Thomas** **W. Easterly**  **Commissioner**

**cc: Denise**  **Boone, U.S.**  **EPA Nuria**  **Muniz, U.S.**  **EPA Mark**  **Jaworski, IDEM**