Federated Metals Corporation ran a metal smelting and recycling facility in Hammond and Whiting, Indiana from 1937 to 1983. The site was added to the federal National Priorities List (NPL) in September 2023, making it eligible for Superfund cleanup funding. Lead and other heavy metals from smelting operations spread into surrounding soil, including residential neighborhoods north of the facility. Lead is toxic to humans and animals. Children under age 7 absorb it more easily than adults, so even small exposures can cause harm.
EPA has been working at the site for years. Between 2001 and 2006, a $3.35 million project demolished the on-site baghouse, consolidated contaminated materials into a landfill, and planted a phyto-cap to reduce leaching. Soil sampling in 2016 and 2017 confirmed lead had spread into nearby neighborhoods. From 2018 to 2019, EPA excavated lead-contaminated soil from 33 priority residential properties where lead exceeded 1,200 parts per million and where pregnant women or children under 7 lived. The City of Hammond later addressed 69 more residential yards. Human exposure is not currently under control at the site.
EPA is now in a more intensive cleanup phase. A remedial investigation and feasibility study began in September 2024. Since summer 2025, EPA has been sampling residential properties at no cost to homeowners to measure lead levels across the area. Sampling since March 2026 has focused on properties north of Lakeview Avenue and Steiber Street, with roughly 255 properties planned for testing. EPA reviewed public comments from March 16 to April 15, 2026, on an interim cleanup plan to remove lead-contaminated soil from approximately 160 homes where lead exceeded 200 parts per million. A public meeting was held on March 26, 2026, at Whiting High School Auditorium. The final cleanup decision will be documented in a Record of Decision, estimated for completion between April and June 2026. Remedial action is estimated to begin between July and September 2026.
Homeowners can request soil sampling by signing an access agreement and submitting it to EPA contractor Caeli Cleary at Tetra Tech. Contact options include email at caeli.cleary@tetratech.com, text to 224-235-5470, or mail to Tetra Tech in Chicago. Submitting the agreement early improves the chance of being sampled in 2026. For broader questions, residents can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
