Keystone Corridor Ground Water Contamination

Overview

The Keystone Corridor Ground Water Contamination site sits in Indianapolis, Indiana, where a roughly 4,500-foot-long plume of chlorinated solvents has spread through groundwater near the Fall Creek well field. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List in December 2013. A former dry-cleaning business, Tuchman Cleaners at 4401 North Keystone Avenue, is identified as the primary source. That facility operated from 1953 to 2008 and released tetrachloroethene (PCE) into soil and groundwater. A municipal drinking water well was taken out of service in 2011 because of the contamination.

Eight contaminants have been identified at the site. Groundwater contains vinyl chloride, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and trichloroethene (TCE). Soil gas and indoor air contain chloroform, tetrachloroethene, and trichloroethene. Tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene appear in both zones. The main health risk comes from people ingesting or coming into contact with these contaminants. EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control, though groundwater migration has not yet been confirmed as stable due to gaps in data about the plume's extent and movement.

Cleanup has moved forward in two main tracks. From 2012 to 2014, EPA ran an emergency removal at Tuchman Cleaners, pulling out more than 2,550 tons of contaminated soil and two underground storage tanks. A broader sitewide removal action ran from March 2017 through June 2019. EPA has installed vapor intrusion mitigation systems at 36 homes and businesses to keep contaminated soil vapors from entering buildings. A Record of Decision issued in October 2020 selected in-situ thermal treatment for the source groundwater area, using heat underground to mobilize, vaporize, capture, and treat contaminants. Remedial action on the source area has been underway since July 2023 and is estimated to finish between September and November 2026. Vapor intrusion remedial action started in September 2019 and is estimated to wrap up between November 2026 and January 2027. The most recent five-year review was completed on February 14, 2025.

In February 2023, EPA announced $1 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding tied to this site's cleanup. Physical construction is not yet complete, and the site is not ready for its anticipated future use. One business currently operates on-site, employing six people and generating about $1,090,000 in annual sales.

Community members can get involved by contacting EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager directly. Site records are available for public review at the Indianapolis Public Library College Avenue Branch. EPA continues to work with residents, property owners, and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to monitor groundwater and address vapor intrusion concerns.