Bennett Stone Quarry

Overview

Bennett Stone Quarry is a 4-acre former limestone quarry northwest of Bloomington in Monroe County, Indiana. During the 1960s and 1970s, the pit was filled with demolition debris, household wastes, electrical parts, and capacitors containing polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. That waste contaminated soil, groundwater, surface water, sediment, and solid waste at the site. The site was added to EPA's National Priorities List, or NPL, on September 21, 1984, and cleanup has been underway in phases ever since.

EPA selected the main long-term remedy in 1998. Workers excavated and disposed of contaminated material off site, removed 1,756 PCB-containing capacitors, placed a soil cover, and set up groundwater monitoring. By 1999, crews had removed 36,172 tons of PCB-contaminated material. In 2000, sediment was excavated from nearby Stout's Creek. After that work, two springs still showed low PCB levels, so EPA updated the remedy in 2006. That update added a passive quarry drain, a groundwater interceptor trench, and a carbon adsorption treatment system. That construction is now complete.

Residents near the site could have been exposed to PCBs through direct contact with contaminated soil and water from on-site springs and Stout's Creek. Fish in Stout's Creek carry low levels of PCBs, which poses a risk to wildlife that eat fish. EPA assessments now indicate that human exposure is under control across the entire site, with no unacceptable exposure pathways remaining. Contaminated groundwater is stabilized in its original area, all cleanup goals for current and anticipated future land uses have been met, and the site reached "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status in October 2017. The site was deleted from the NPL on September 14, 2021.

Long-term operation and maintenance, including monthly sampling of treated water and water level measurements, continues under EPA oversight. The most recent five-year review was completed on January 29, 2022, with the next review estimated between January and March 2027. The site's remedy supports industrial and commercial reuse.

Community members who want to learn more or ask questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator, Cheryl Allen, or the Remedial Project Manager, Aaron Green. The Citizens Opposed to PCB Ash, or COPA, received a Technical Assistance Grant to help the community access information and technical support about the site. EPA documents related to Bennett Stone Quarry are available for public review at Indiana University Library in Bloomington.