IDEM Rescinds Request for Riverside Site Superfund Designation

By Colin E. Connor, Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP

In a first-of-its kind development for Indiana, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), the City of Indianapolis, Citizens Energy, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have developed a plan to remove the Riverside site from the Superfund list in order to manage the cleanup at the state level. Although IDEM had previously applied for a Superfund designation for the site (bordered by 35th St., Central Ave., Washington St. and Holt Rd.), the community implored IDEM to reverse course to avoid the potential stigma that attaches to Superfund sites. This new development includes an agreement between IDEM and EPA for IDEM to serve as the lead agency in the cleanup of decades-long industrial and manufacturing contamination. This represents the first time IDEM has asked for a Superfund designation and then subsequently asked to rescind that designation. It will be interesting to watch how this novel community-based approach plays out for the Riverside community.

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