An industrial maintenance facility enrolled in the State’s Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) program following the removal of two 2,000 gallon petroleum USTs. During delineation, additional non-LUST petroleum impacts were identified at the Site. This other portion of the Site was enrolled in the State’s Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP).

Oil skimmers were installed in the new VRP area to access the feasibility of removing the Free Phase Hydrocarbons (FPH). The recovered FPH was extremely viscous and not consistent with expected petroleum impacts associated with an industrial maintenance facility.

High resolution gas chromatography (HRGC), stable isotope analysis (C13) and high resolution mass spectrophotometry (HRMS) indicated there were two source of FPH within the VRP area. Neither source being connected to historical maintenance activities.

Potential remediation strategies were developed ranging from $180,000 for MNA to $3.2M for source area removal.

Investigation of archaeological records and historical aerial photographs identified a region-wide source of contamination resulting from fill activities conducted pre-1958 during efforts to fill swampy back-dunal areas associated with dune and swale deposits in the NW Indiana region.

The State concurred and the Site was closed with an ERC on the property. The State issued a “Covenant Not-to-Sue”, signed by the Governor

Primary Author/Presenter:
Dr. Richard Christensen
Principal Hydrogeologist
Acuity Environmental Solutions
Fishers, Indiana
USA

Co-Author:
Andrea Jesudian, Acuity Environmental Solutions, Fishers, IN