March 2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

and they would wash them down with these coroneted solvents, in essence turpentine, and this collection of coroneted solvents and greases would collect into a run off pit which unfortunately had drains in the bottom that went straight to the ground. So, over the past probably seventy years this operation went on until in 1999 when South Bend Stamping shut down. This is one of our priorities we keep on the project from the environmental cleanup side, so this is the one we are going after first. At the Studebaker area A properties (reference brochure) which include the old foundry which is now Underground Pipe and Valve, the old maintenance building which is Huggins Tool and Die, the old engine plant which is South Bend Lathe, and the vacant South Bend Stamping property. Today the majority of our work has been site assessment work, which is basically testing to see what's there. We are in the process of conducting an interior assessment and we have got a reasonable handle on what is in the soil and the ground water. We are now going through the buildings and taking an account of asbestos, lead paint, and things of that nature and we hope to get that report within a month. On the Oliver side of things, the demolition continues and all the above ground work that is going to occur has been completed. The contractor is currently working on the below ground segments, which include the tunnels, slab work, underground utilities, etc. We hope to have the contractor off site by August I't. The renovations of the boiler house structure and the demolition interior that will occur with that project you may have seen was advertised on Friday of last week. We hope to award bid, I believe, on April 4''. So, that work will get started this summer. We have an interested purchaser for the boiler house and smoke stack and they will be moving their business in there. We are working with them on some of the work that will be done to the boiler house in accordance with John Lappet. Hopefully, we can get them in by their deadline, which is April of next year. After the demolition is completed in August we will hopefully get a road constructed this year before the ground freezes. So, we are working with USEDA on getting some funds for that road. So, that is were the public stands at this point and I would be happy to answer any questions or take any comments that you have on both the grant application or the project as a whole. I see that you have some photocopies of this marketing piece, and I have full copies if you are interested. GERALD UJDAK: Which site is the more seriously polluted, Oliver or Studebaker? ANDY LAURENT: I would'say that Studebaker is? GERALD UJDAK: In that one location that you mentioned? ANDY LAURENT: Right, this is the area that is most contributing to ground water. GERALD UJDAK: How about the area in the back of the machine shop? ANDY LAURENT: The area just south of South Bend Lathe is where APT, which was a consultant that worked for South Bend Stamping, they basically had a report that pointed