EPA orders 6 companies to clean up East Chicago soil, dust

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is ordering six companies to clean up contaminated soil and indoor dust at a federal Superfund site in northwestern Indiana.

The EPA said Monday it issued two unilateral administrative orders for residential areas slated for cleanups in East Chicago's USS Lead Superfund site.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports the agency says the soil cleanups could cost about $24 million, while the indoor dust cleanups could cost about $2.25 million.

Potentially responsible parties include USS Lead, Atlantic Richfield Co., E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., The Chemours Co., U.S. Metals Refining Co. and Mueller Industries.

The USS Lead Superfund site is tainted with lead and arsenic left by a lead-salvage company. The EPA added the site to its list of priority cleanups 2009.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com