Army Cleaning Up Two Sites

The Army is spending more than $3.4 million to clean up two environmental problems at its former ammunition plant in Clark County, Ind.

The first involves cleaning up metal shards, wood scrap, plastic, paper and other materials — some containing asbestos — that have collected to a depth of 4 to 6 feet, according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Cleanup of the 7-acre site at the former Indiana Army Ammunition plant near Charlestown is expected to cost $2.9 million, The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., reported in a story published Monday.

The other site is a hazardous-waste landfill containing heavy metals, including lead and cadmium, which state environmental authorities said was not properly closed.

The Army paid a $22,500 fine earlier this year, but the state also wants a new cap on the landfill, which is expected to cost $492,000.

At the old scrap-metal site, the Army and the former owners of a company that leased 14.3 acres still disagree on who is responsible for the cleanup.

The Army contends that Louisville Scrap Materials is responsible for the site.

Vern Huss, the Army’s top official at the plant, said the Army is paying for the cleanup and will seek reimbursement from Louisville Scrap’s former owners.

The company used to dismantle and recycle rail cars. It was sold in 1998 and has since moved.

The former owners of Louisville Scrap, blame a contractor who was supposed to clean up the site for the family.

The total bill for the nearly 100 areas of the old plant needing cleanup is estimated at $30 million. Complete cleanup efforts are expected to take years.

“We’ve got a lot more dollars to spend to clean up this plant,” Huss said. The Associated Press