Site 0153 & Environmental Justice

ABOUT SITE 0153

Site 0153 is an area of Indianapolis, Indiana which has been identified due to groundwater contamination by several volatile organic compounds or VOC’s.  In 2013, these contaminants were found to exceed safe limits within the Riverside well field.  Due to this, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was notified of the findings.  Site 0153 encompasses a large area that spans approximately from 35th St. to the north, Holt Rd. to the west, Washington St. to the south, and Central Ave. to the east.  As it is such a large site, it overlaps many neighborhoods.    SEE the map below which outlines the area!  

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To understand the current situation surrounding the contamination of Site 0153, it is important to review the legacy of historical influences which have left lasting impressions on the area.  At the turn of the 20th century, the area where Site 0153 is situated housed incoming immigrants, as well as a growing African American population.  Many industrial organizations were situated along the White River, Fall Creek, Central canal, and Martin Luther King/West Street districts (previously called Northwestern).  During the 1930’s, the eastern side of the White River included a segregated African American community that had their own schools and businesses. In the 1950’s, the area east of the river was still segregated and places like Indiana Avenue was in its heyday with the Jazz revolution.  Around the 1960’s to the 1970’s, a portion of the area began to change due to the introduction of the interstate highway, which split longstanding neighborhoods, and the expansion of Indiana University’s campus, now named Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), which razed a large portion of the African American community. 

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Over the past several years, neighborhoods have been involved in the process of a revitalizing the area.  Examples of this are the Mid-North Quality of Life plan and the Riverside Regional Park Master Plan.   This included various upgrades to the neighborhoods, as well as work on the waterways, the Fall Creek and White River.  With this, the need to recognize and take account for the contamination from industry is vital, as it is through these industrial organizations that the current contamination has been found to be linked.

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In 2013, Citizen’s Water notified the City of Indianapolis and the EPA about contamination levels which exceeded the recommended safe levels in the Riverside well field.  Five VOC’s were found, including Trichloroethylene, Perchloroethylene, 1,1,1 - Trichloroethane, Cis-1,2 - Dichloroethene, and Vinyl Chloride1.  From this, Site 0153 was created with the initial idea that the EPA was to designate the area a Superfund.  After much discussion and many letters of concern, due to current development projects and the ramifications of the area having Superfund status, it was decided that the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) would manage the site instead of the EPA.  This management process would include deciphering liability for the contamination found, creating a cleanup plan, as well as overseeing the cleanup progression.  To begin, IDEM created an informational website and scheduled informational community meetings to bring awareness to the contamination found, as well as establish a community involvement plan.

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The map below provides each location being investigated for possible contamination involvement, but also includes a wellhead protection area delineation line for one and 5 years.  When a location is chosen on the map, a popup contains quick information on the status of the location and a link to documentation on the location and the process to identify their involvement with any possible contamination.  

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See what locations you can find on the Site 0153 Potential Responsible Party map...

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