Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has commenced the removal of asbestos, lead, and arsenic from the former roundhouse site at 613 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Elkhart, Indiana. The EPA estimates that the cleanup will take approximately two months and cost over $2.5 million.
The contaminated soil will be excavated and replaced with clean soil to restore the surface areas. The removed hazardous materials will be transported to permitted landfills for disposal.
To ensure safety during the cleanup process, fencing has been installed around the site, and measures are being taken to control dust, prevent runoff, and monitor air quality for both public and worker safety. Residents in the vicinity can expect increased truck traffic as a result of these activities.
The site comprises two lots: Lot 1 was used for residential and commercial purposes from the 1890s until the late 1970s; Lot 2 housed two roundhouses—a smaller passenger engine roundhouse to the north and a larger freight engine roundhouse to the south—which operated from around 1905 until their demolition in the late 1950s. These facilities supported locomotive turnaround, repair, storage, and included additional structures such as a repair shop, blacksmith shop, oil house, oil tank, and coaling station.
In 1983, following acquisition by the city of Elkhart from a bankrupt railroad corporation, all buildings on-site have remained undeveloped.
For more information about cleanups in Indiana, please visit our website.
