American Chemical Service, Inc.

Overview

The American Chemical Service, Inc. site covers roughly 23 acres in Griffith, Indiana. The facility ran as a solvent recovery firm, chemical manufacturer, and drum reconditioning business from 1955 to 1975. Improper waste disposal contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous chemicals. The site was added to the National Priorities List in 1984, making it eligible for federal Superfund cleanup funding.

Seventy-one chemical contaminants of concern have been identified in soil at the site. These include volatile organic compounds such as benzene, trichloroethene, and tetrachloroethene, chlorinated solvents like carbon tetrachloride and chloroform, metals including lead, cadmium, and chromium, pesticides such as DDT, and other substances like PCBs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Groundwater also contains VOCs including benzene, toluene, and vinyl chloride, along with creosote and phthalates. The shallow aquifer holds the highest concentrations of organic contaminants. PCBs in the wetland area pose a risk to wildlife.

Cleanup actions include a subsurface barrier wall, groundwater pumping and treatment, soil vapor extraction, and soil caps. Intact buried drums were removed for off-site incineration. Contaminated wetland areas were excavated and consolidated on-site. EPA also established zoning restrictions to prevent incompatible land uses like residential development. Construction was completed in September 2004, with additional enhancements in 2005 under a Consent Decree reached with responsible parties in January 2001. As of December 2024, American Chemical Service continues to operate on 15 acres of the site, manufacturing specialty chemicals.

Human exposure is currently under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways at the site. Contaminated groundwater has been stabilized within its original area. The site reached readiness for its anticipated reuse in October 2017. Operation and maintenance continues under EPA oversight. The most recent five-year review, completed in September 2021, found that cleanup actions continue to protect human health and the environment in the short term. The next five-year review is estimated between September and November 2026.

Community members can participate in the ongoing five-year review by sharing information about site conditions or raising concerns with EPA. Public records related to the site are available at two locations in Griffith: the Griffith-Calumet Township Branch library at 1215 East 45th Avenue and the Griffith Town Hall at 111 North Broad Street. Questions can be directed to EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.