A fence is going up, trailers are on site, and work is under way to clean up the former Columbian Enameling Site in Terre Haute.
The city is working with the Environmental Protection Agency to remove debris and hazardous materials, including asbestos.
Mayor Brandon Sakbun said there’ve been calls, complaints, and frustrations from the neighborhood for years.
“That is one of my best memories so far as being mayor is saying, hey, no, like we said, we're going to help North Terre Haute. We've committed to working with the EPA to clean up a crumbled factory,” Sakbun said.
Water will be sprayed on debris during removal to control dust. The EPA will monitor the air to make sure asbestos particles don’t leave the site.
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Sakbun says the city also plans to rebuild a neighborhood park.
“That way we've got consistent quality of life across the city, not just if you live on the east side, on the south side, but all portions of this community can have a quality green space and can have a neighborhood that's clean.”
He said federal funds will pay for the project. The EPA will pursue cost recovery privately with the developers that created the hazard.
Sakbun said the city wants to acquire the site for potential market rate housing.
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The factory operated from 1902 until 1968 producing enamel cookware. The clean-up should be complete in a year.
