Beck's Lake

Overview

Beck's Lake covers nearly 45 acres on the west side of South Bend, Indiana. It includes LaSalle Park and nearby residential areas built on land that was used as a dump from at least the 1930s through the mid-1950s. Waste disposed of there included asbestos, plating and paint wastes, solvents and oils, and arsenic-contaminated foundry sand. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in December 2013. The NPL is the EPA's roster of contaminated sites that warrant detailed investigation and cleanup.

The main contamination concern is lead and arsenic in soil. Investigations starting in 2001 found both metals above acceptable levels. Arsenic was detected above background concentrations, but the EPA considers current arsenic levels safe and below benchmarks used at other Superfund sites. Lead at concentrations above 400 parts per million (ppm) was the trigger for a formal removal action. Groundwater migration is under control, with contaminated groundwater stabilized in place.

Honeywell International Inc. and the City of South Bend, overseen by the EPA, carried out a time-critical removal action between August and October 2022. At LaSalle Park, crews dug out contaminated soil from recreational areas and replaced it with clean material, then added one to two feet of additional clean soil as a protective cap. At two nearby residential properties, workers removed soil to a depth of two feet and backfilled with clean soil. The EPA describes this type of action as time-critical because it addresses immediate risks to human health, particularly for children who may contact contaminated soil. Testing at residential properties in 2017 and 2018 found lead and arsenic below EPA action levels, and the EPA currently considers human exposure to be under control.

The site is divided into three operable units: a sitewide area, the LaSalle Park area, and a residential area. Remedial investigations are still underway. The combined remedial investigation and feasibility study for the LaSalle Park and residential areas is expected to wrap up between September and November 2027. A Record of Decision selecting the long-term cleanup remedy is also expected around that time. Remedial design for the LaSalle Park area is estimated to begin between September and November 2028. Construction is not yet complete, and the site has not been deleted from the NPL.

Community members can review site records at the St. Joseph County Library in South Bend. Nine documents are on file in the EPA's administrative record. Residents with gardens can consult the Urban Gardening Fact Sheet for safety guidance. For questions, community members can contact the EPA's Remedial Project Manager or the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM).