WROI News

NIPSCO underway with cleanup of former gas plant property in Rochester

NIPSCO is getting underway with cleanup of a former gas plant property in Rochester.

 

NIPSCO has announced the expansion of an environmental study and addressing on-site issues at its vacant property at the northwest intersection of 8th Street and Indiana Avenue.

 

NIPSCO says it has an ongoing program to study former sites where gas was historically manufactured to learn what environmental impacts may have occurred.  Based on available historical site information, a manufactured gas plant operated on Eighth Street from around 1906 until 1930.

 

NIPSCO has coordinated its study in consultation with IDEM and the City of Rochester.  Plans are to clean the site and prepare it for potential redevelopment down the road.

 

The first stage of work involves digging out the below ground contents / rubble of a former manufactured gas holder and replacing this area with clean fill. This will allow for the installation of a new natural gas main at the site.

 

During the second phase of work, NIPSCO will retire an old gas main and remove remaining contaminated soils and replace them with clean soils.  In addition, the company will be collecting more soil and groundwater samples. The results will guide decisions on the need for further investigation and / or additional cleanup. NIPSCO will be working at the site and in adjacent, city-owned, right-of- way areas through the remainder of 2019, weather permitting.

 

 

The company will try to minimize construction impacts to the neighborhood during this work. Neighbors will still notice an increase in noise and truck traffic on weekdays between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm.

 

People in the area may also notice an occasional odor of tar or mothballs. Air monitoring will be conducted during work activities to ensure the safety and protection of the workers and surrounding community.

 

The site is already surrounded by a fence with a locked gate and this will not change. Construction trucks will enter and exit the site from Indiana Avenue.

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