Op-Ed: Seven Region lawmakers call for stronger closure plan for junkyard responsible for toxic waste pollution, invite public to weigh in on proposed plan

We are writing to register our collective support for a stronger, more robust closure plan for Summit, Inc, a long-time junkyard operator in Gary for decades and the source of multiple efforts by local, state and federal entities to force a site cleanup and eventual closure of the facility.

While this closure plan has been decades in the making, dating back to at least 2004 when the City of Gary filed their initial suit to force this junkyard to clean up their site, we feel this plan does not go far enough in addressing substantial environmental issues that have arisen from the operations of this site. The current plan only addresses a portion of the entire junkyard, and more broadly, allows the operator to have a substantial extension on their operations timeline and extend the period they would be allowed to operate to 2030.

There will be a community meeting regarding this location and its current closure plan on Wednesday, May 15th at the Gary Public Library, located at 220 W. 5th Avenue starting at 5:30 pm. As elected leaders that represent significant portions of residents, businesses, and other stakeholders, we will attend this meeting and show our support for a stronger closure plan.

This junkyard operator utilizes a crushing process to dispose of the materials. This effort can be quite hazardous, as it will emit chemicals considered above “safe levels” for human contact. These chemical by-products include petroleum and chlorinated volatile compounds, including but not limited to Benzene Naphthalene and Methyl Chloride, and there are significant quantities of arsenic, chromium, cadmium, lead and mercury on the site as well. 

The operations of this site have also resulted in fires and explosions and have led to chemical contamination of the soil and groundwater. This soil and groundwater contamination appears to have spread to areas outside of the site in question, creating a potential health and safety concern for residents of the surrounding areas. Increasing piles of what is known as “fluff” – plastic waste from unlicensed shredders – have also contributed to this groundwater contamination.

Issues such as those detailed above are concerning on their own. However, what is increasingly worrisome is the junkyard falls quite close to large portions of residential populations, making the risk to human health and safety a growing concern. According to recent population figures, there are approximately 1,300 people that reside within one (1) mile of the site, and 93% of these  are individuals of color. There are over 31,000 people that fall within a three (3) mile area of Summit, and 84% of those are persons of color as well.

The fact is, the continued presence of contamination and hazardous substances in the soil, the groundwater and the piles of fluff represent a significant – and growing – environmental justice threat. This is made worse by evidence that since 2020 alone, there have been at least 30 cases of explosions and fires at this facility, impacting nearby neighbors with smoke and air pollution, requiring HVAC systems to cease operations. Continued operations will only compound these community and environmental threats.

It is important to understand the history of this site, as efforts to enforce environmental protections and operations protocols have been made by the City of Gary, the Indiana Department of Environment (IDEM) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for years.

In 2004, the City of Gary entered into what would ultimately become the first of several agreements to force the site be cleaned up and require the operator to pay a monetary fee to secure this site cleanup. In 2014, IDEM brought another round of enforcement against Summit on violations of solid waste disposal processes, and in 2016 the EPA entered into a consent agreement with Summit that included a substantial civil penalty and required the site be cleaned. All these agreements have been ignored by the ownership, and no monetary payments or penalties have been paid.

Considering the prior behavior by the ownership of the site, and their continued efforts to delay compliance with the agreed upon orders, we feel that now is the time to make our collective voices heard and advocate for a stronger closure plan for this location. We would encourage other residents to attend the community meeting on Wednesday, May 15 to make their voices heard as well.