FINAL COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PLAN TUCHMAN CLEANERS SITE INDIANAPOLIS, IN NOVEMBER 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE Section 1 Overview of the Community Involvement Plan 1-1 A Brief Explanation of Superfund, EPA’s Emergency Response 1-1 and Removal Program and the Remedial Program Section 2 Site Background 2-1 Site Description 2-1 Site History 2-1 Section 3 Community Profile 3-1 Chronology of Community Involvement 3-1 Key Community Comments and Concerns 3-2 Human Health 3-2 Lag Time 3-2 Ground-Water Contamination 3-3 Lack of Communication 3-3 Information Requested 3-3 Section 4 Highlights of the Community Involvement Program 4-1 Enlist the Support and Participation of Local Officials and 4-1 Community Leaders Identify and Assess Resident Perception of the Site 4-1 Provide Follow-up Explanations about Technical Activities and 4-2 Contaminants Inform the Community about the Procedures, Policies and 4-2 Requirements of the EPA Emergency Response and Removal Program Section 5 Community Involvement Techniques 5-1 Maintain Contact with Local Officials, Community Leaders and 5-1 Residents Provide Site and EPA Emergency Response and Removal 5-1 Program and Remedial Program Information on the Internet Maintain an Information Repository 5-1 Coordinate with the Office of Public Affairs on News Releases 5-2 Prepare and Distribute Fact Sheets or Update Reports 5-2 Hold Public Meetings and Hearings 5-2 Publish Notices or Newspaper Advertisements 5-3 Work with a Community Advisory Group on Technical Issues 5-3 Section 6 Community Involvement Activity Timeframe 6-1 i Community Involvement Plan for Tuchman Cleaners Site TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDICES PAGE Appendix A Glossary A-1 Appendix B Information Repositories and Public Meeting Locations B-1 Appendix C List of Contacts C-1 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE Figure 1 Site Location Map 2-2 Figure 2 Vapor Intrusion Study Area 2-3 Figure 3 Timeframe for Community Involvement Activities 6-1 This document was prepared by Weston Solutions, Inc., expressly for EPA. It shall not be released or disclosed in whole or in part without the express, written permission of EPA. FINAL ii Community Involvement Plan for Tuchman Cleaners Site 1. OVERVIEW OF THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PLAN United States Environmental Protection Agency developed this Community Involvement Plan in preparation for community involvement activities to be conducted during the investigation and cleanup at the Tuchman Cleaners Site in Indianapolis, Indiana. This document provides information about current community concerns and presents a plan to enhance communication between local residents and EPA as the investigation and cleanup at the site progresses. (Words appearing in bold are defined in Appendix A.) The objective of community involvement is to involve the public in activities and decisions related to the investigation and cleanup of hazardous waste sites. The community involvement program promotes two-way communication between members of the public and EPA. EPA has learned that its decision-making ability is enhanced by actively soliciting comments and information from the public. Public input can be useful in two ways: • Communities provide valuable information on local history, resident involvement and site conditions. • By expressing its concerns, the community assists EPA in developing a response that more effectively addresses the community’s needs. The information in this plan is based primarily on interviews with local officials and residents conducted during community interviews, performed by EPA October 2-3, 2012. 1.1 A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF SUPERFUND, EPA’S EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND REMOVAL PROGRAM In 1980, the United States Congress enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also called Superfund. CERCLA authorizes EPA to investigate and respond to hazardous substance releases that may endanger public health and the environment. Congress amended and reauthorized the Superfund law in October 1986 as the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act. If the site poses an immediate threat to public health or the environment, EPA can intervene with an emergency response action. In September 2012 staff from EPA’s Superfund Emergency Response and Removal Program began overseeing the activities concerning the Tuchman Cleaners Site. The goal of EPA’s Emergency Response and FINAL 1-1 Community Involvement Plan for Tuchman Cleaners Site OVERVIEW OF THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PLAN Removal Program is to protect the public and the environment from immediate threats posed by the release or discharge of hazardous substances. At the Tuchman Cleaners Site, EPA will conduct the investigation and cleanup under the Superfund program using Superfund money. FINAL 1-2 Community Involvement Plan for Tuchman Cleaners Site 2. SITE BACKGROUND 2.1 SITE DESCRIPTION The Tuchman Cleaners site is located at 4401 N. Keystone Ave. in Indianapolis, Indiana. The site is located in an area that is commercial and residential. Approximately 10,000 people live within one mile of the site. The Fall Creek well field is less than ¼ mile from the Site. Fall Creek, a major tributary to the White River, is located approximately 500 feet south of the site. 2.2. SITE HISTORY Tuchman Cleaners operated as a dry cleaner at the Keystone facility beginning in 1953 until 2008 when the parent company declared bankruptcy. Prior to the construction of the dry cleaning the facility, the property was an empty lot. The site is currently vacant. In 2002, the URS Corporation conducted a site assessment and began a cleanup at Tuchman Cleaners for the former owner. URS's historical data documented volatile organic compound contamination on the site, including tetrachloroethene, or PCE, and trichloroethene, or TCE, in soil and ground water. PCE was detected in near-surface soil (1 foot below ground surface). In July 2007, PCE was detected in ground water in a monitoring well. In addition, nearby municipal wells in the Fall Creek Wellhead Protection Area have been contaminated with VOCs from the site. One of the production wells in the well field was shut down because of contamination. The cleanup that URS was conducting stopped when the Tuchman Cleaners’ parent company declared bankruptcy in 2008. In November 2011, the City of Indianapolis demolished the facility building. In September 2012, EPA began a time-critical removal action that included removing soil that poses a direct contact threat; backfilling excavated areas; conducting vapor intrusion assessment and mitigation; and transportation and disposal off-site of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants. FINAL 2-1 Community Involvement Plan for Tuchman Cleaners Site SITE BACKGROUND Figure 1 Tuchman Cleaners Site Site Location Map FINAL 2-2 Community Involvement Plan for Tuchman Cleaners Site SITE BACKGROUND Figure 2 Tuchman Cleaners Site Vapor Intrusion Study Area FINAL 2-3 Community Involvement Plan for Tuchman Cleaners Site 3. COMMUNITY PROFILE The Tuchman Cleaners site is located in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. The specific neighborhood is part of the 46205 zip code, and according to the 2010 census, this zip code has a population of 25,356. The area is predominantly African American - 57.6 percent of the population. The white population is about 37 percent with Hispanics making up the next largest race at 3 percent. The average age of the population is 35.5 years old. Approximately 56.2 percent of the households are family households. The percent of the population under the age of 18 is 24.8 and over the age of 65 is 7.8. According to the 2010 Census, 21 percent of the housing in the zip code is vacant. Of the occupied homes, 48 percent are owner-occupied. In going door-to door in the neighborhood, EPA discovered a number of vacant homes. While some homes seemed to be well cared for, others remained in disrepair. The neighborhood is comprised of both single family homes as well as multi-unit homes. There are 11,194 total households in the zip code with 51.2 percent being family households. Of the family households, 53.3 percent have children under the age of 18. According to the 2000 Census, the median household income is $31,348 and 18.4 percent of the families live below the poverty level. The median home value in 2000 was $69,500 and the median rent was $400. Of the population aged 16 and over, 71.7 percent of the males and 62.8 percent of the females were employed. Of the population aged 5 and over in 2000, 94.8 spoke English only. Of the 5.2 percent that spoke a language other than English, 47.9 said they spoke English “very well.” Of the population over 25 years old in 2000, 77.1 percent were high school graduates and 22.5 percent had a bachelor’s degree or higher. 3.1 CHRONOLOGY OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT In September 2012, EPA mailed out a site fact sheet, an access agreement and a fact sheet on vapor intrusion to residents and officials on the site mailing list. The fact sheet updated the community on the status of the work being conducted at the site and requested residents to fill out and return the access agreement In September 2012, EPA established a Web page for the site: epa.gov/region5/cleanup/tuchman On October 2, EPA conducted community interviews and went door-to- door in the neighborhood west of the site to pass out the fact sheets and FINAL 3-1 Community Involvement Plan for Tuchman Cleaners Site COMMUNITY BACKGROUND access agreements and talk to residents about the public meeting, the need to return the access agreements and to explain the potential for vapor intrusion. On October 3, 2012, EPA held a public meeting to inform local officials and community members about the project and explain the need for residents to return access agreements.