East Chicago mayor seeks disaster declaration from Pence for lead-contaminated neighborhood

Copeland's decision to seek declaration from Gov. Mike Pence was announced after a two-hour meeting with residents Friday. The residents of the Calumet neighborhood demanded the mayor seek disaster declaration for the area around the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site.

"That will allow the city to access resources that are needed," said the Rev. Cheryl Rivera, a member of the East Chicago Community Strategy Group and director of the Northwest Indiana Federation of Interfaith Organizations. "We are just very excited that the people have won today."

East Chicago officials learned from the EPA the extent of contamination at the West Calumet Housing Complex in May and then decided to evacuate the more than 1,000 residents of the public housing complex.

As residents began to move out of West Calumet, those living in the eastern parts of the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site began to learn of the contaminants in the soil around their homes. The EPA began remediation work in those neighborhoods during the fall.

"The residents of my city, my staff, other local officials and I have been laboring under conditions which are not of our making, but which cry out for help," Copeland wrote to Pence on Dec. 1.

Copeland noted, in the letter, that Indiana code defined a disaster as "being an occurrence or imminent threat of widespread severe damage, injury, loss of life or property damage from a utility failure, public health emergency, blight or other public calamity."

The resources of East Chicago are strained to the "point of breaking," Copeland wrote, and resources from the state are needed to adequately respond to the continuing crisis.

"I am sure that as governor, you do not find it acceptable that Hoosier children be exposed to toxins, or suffer the lifelong burdens which are known to result from such exposure," Copeland wrote. "I am sure that you do not find it acceptable that these children's families suffer the long-term economic devastation of blight caused by environmental problems which these hard working Hoosier families did not cause.

"By this letter, I am imploring you to take action," Copeland wrote.

Pence's office said the request was received and is being reviewed.

The mayor again met with residents Friday to continue to address their concerns and needs. West Calumet Housing Complex resident Akeeshea Daniels said she's hopeful that the city will continue working with residents.

"It was very productive," said Maritza Lopez, who lives in the adjacent East Calumet neighborhood, and that residents know they must continue pushing for action.

Daniels said residents will keep going step by step.

The revelation of Copeland's disaster declaration request came a day after the mayor said the EPA informed the city that concentration of lead in the water in the Calumet neighborhood exceeded acceptable levels.

The EPA monitored water quality of the eastern zones of the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site during remediation work in the neighborhood, according to the mayor's announcement, and found that 18 of the 45 homes where the water was tested exceeded 15 parts per billion of lead – the EPA's threshold for water safety.

Copeland said, in the announcement, the city's water supply meets all state and federal quality standards and the EPA used a pilot program to test quality that had the agency had not used.

"Why did the EPA use a new, unproven, unaccredited test in the middle of the U.S.S. Lead Superfund crisis? Why is the EPA now released data which has not gone through its QAQC (quality assurance, quality control) process," the mayor wrote. "This does not surprise me, because this is the same EPA which hid soil sample results from the City of East Chicago and its residents for two years and more."

Copeland said residents would begin hearing results of the EPA water testing Friday.

The EPA told the city that a single water filter for kitchen taps is enough to meet residents' needs. Copeland said that is not adequate and the agency should supply a more thorough filtration system for residents.

The more thorough system would both address lead that leeched into service lines and prevent additional exposure to toxins, Copeland said.

EPA officials did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Late Friday, a planned EPA forum for residents scheduled for Saturday at Carrie Gosch School was canceled.