IDEM Coordinates Clean-up at Jay County Site

IDEM takes action to remove and prevent pollution from oil in transformers

PORTLAND, IN - Knowing that the best way to protect the environment is to prevent problems before they occur, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) took action for the proper disposal of oil from transformers at an abandoned Jay County manufacturing facility. Thousands of gallons of oil were safely removed from ten transformers outside the sprawling building on South Bridge Street in Portland where automotive parts once were manufactured.

"Managing waste materials and preventing an accidental release protects Hoosiers and our environment by keeping harmful substances from impacting soil or groundwater, and it is the most cost-effective means of preventing pollution," said Thomas Easterly, IDEM commissioner.

IDEM oversees the environmental investigation and cleanup at properties in Indiana. When regulated waste materials, such as waste oil, are discovered at abandoned sites, the agency works to address and alleviate the potential threat of release or exposure. Oil from the transformers contained low levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and needed to be properly managed and disposed.

IDEM coordinated the removal of chemicals from the Portland facility beginning in December of 2008. Acids, bases, oxidizers and flammables stored in close proximity posed a threat of fire at the facility and contamination to soil and water if accidentally released. Besides posing an exposure threat for nearby residents, combustible and reactive materials at such sites pose a threat to emergency responders, fire departments and police departments. About 100 55-gallon drums and several hundred small containers were removed.  

Source: IDEM