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Martindale-Brightwood property nearing end of environmental cleanup

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1960 Alvord St. is undergoing a cleanup process to remove lead from the soil. An extraction system sits in the middle of the vacant lot to help pull contaminated vapors from the soil. (Photo/Jayden Kennett)

A property in Martindale-Brightwood, near the Monon Trail and 19th Street, is undergoing a voluntary remediation cleanup to remove lead from the first three feet of soil.

The site, located at 1960 Alvord St., was once the location of a railroad yard, a recycling storage facility and a truck cartage facility. The property was legally separated into two parcels in 2021, a north parcel and south parcel, according to a report from EnviroForensics, the company managing the cleanup.

A cleanup process which included removing 7,000 tons of soil and disposing of more than 50 tires was performed on the north parcel, Morgan Saltsgiver, director of brownfields and agribusiness at EnviroForensics, said.

The cleanup process involves three different phases that address groundwater impact, vapor extraction from the soil and removing the top layer of soil. The second stage of remediation is already underway and two-thirds of the cleanup has been completed, Gerarld Kosene, the owner of the property, said.

ā€œEverything weā€™ve done there, itā€™s been done the right way. No shortcuts,ā€ Kosene said.

To break down and degrade lead, two substrate chemicals were injected directly into the groundwater last year. No lead was detected at the surface once the injection was complete, Saltsgiver said, and quarterly samples are taken to monitor the groundwater. There is no risk of exposure to surrounding residents and businesses, the report concluded.

Currently, an extraction system is treating the soil by pulling contaminated vapors from the soil. The system has been in operation for eight months and will have 10 more months before it is complete, Saltsgiver said.

After that is complete, three feet of lead-contaminated soil will be removed and disposed of to complete the remediation work, and a final proposal to close the cleanup will be submitted to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM).

After cleanup, the property will be sold to a construction company and townhomes will be built on the property.

IDEM needs to approve the final plan, pending a 30-day public comment period.

The public comment period will end Aug. 21. Public comment can be emailed to MNance@idem.IN.gov or mailed to:
Mark A. Nance, Senior Environmental Manager IDEM Voluntary Remediation Program
100 N. Senate Ave., N1101
Indianapolis, IN, 46204-2251

Contact staff writer Jayden Kennett 317-762-7847 or by email jaydenk@indyrecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @JournoJay.

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