HomeMy WebLinkAbout10.02.15_City_Honeywell_Finalize_Agreement_with_EPACITY OF SOUTH BEND
PETE BUTTIGIEG, MAYOR
Office of the Mayor
CONTACT:
Kara Kelly, (574) 235 -5853
kkelly @southbendin.gov
FOR RELEASE: Friday, October 2, 2015
CITY, HONEYWELL FINALIZE AGREEMENT WITH EPA ON ASSESSMENT AT BECK'S LAKE
The City of South Bend announced today that the City and Honeywell International Inc. have
finalized an agreement with the United States Environmental Protection Agency to further test
LaSalle Park for unsafe levels of contamination. This agreement follows the listing of Beck's
Lake on EPA's Superfund National Priorities List in 2013. As a result of this agreement, testing
could begin as soon as spring of next year and is expected to last several months. If unsafe levels
of contamination are found, an evaluation of potential remedies would follow that could take
several additional months to complete.
The agreement, once executed by the EPA, provides a framework to investigate LaSalle Park for
potential legacy pollution that remains from when part of the park may have been used as a
dump site prior to the mid- 1950s. The City began developing LaSalle Park in 1959 and
completed acquisition of the last property in 1968.
The agreement calls for the City and Honeywell to jointly perform a focused remedial
investigation to determine the nature and extent of any contamination, and to identify and
evaluate remedial alternatives to prevent, mitigate, or remedy any threatened release of
hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. The EPA also says it will seek other
potentially responsible parties to help cover the costs of the investigation and remediation, if that
is determined to be necessary.
"This agreement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring a safe environment for all residents
throughout the City," Mayor Pete Buttigieg says. "The LaSalle Park neighborhood has shared
concerns about the potential effects of legacy pollution for many decades. In this matter, it's best
to conduct the testing and be on the safe side."
While no immediate threat to public health has been found in LaSalle Park, preliminary sampling
results in 2009 found elevated levels of metals below the surface. However, additional soil
sampling in 2013 found arsenic levels within the range considered to be safe for residents using
the Park.
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In 2013 and 2014, EPA representatives met with LaSalle Park residents to learn more about their
concerns and questions. From these meetings the EPA plans to develop a community
involvement plan.
The agreement was entered into voluntarily by the City and Honeywell, and neither the City nor
Honeywell admit any liability.
To learn more about the Beck's Lake site, visit epa.gov /region5 /cleanup/beckslake.