The City of Goshen strives to take the best care for residents and to ensure our drinking water meets all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) safety requirements. As part of this process, the EPA will conduct community interviews in Goshen from Tuesday, April 23, through Thursday, April 25, regarding the North 5th Street Superfund Site
During one of the City’s routine tests in 2015, a plume of chlorinated solvents was found in the four municipal wells at the site. The groundwater contaminants found in the municipal wells are at levels below the Safe Drinking Water Act Maximum Contaminant Level, or MCL, and the groundwater is processed at the City’s treatment plant in Goshen to ensure its safety before it is distributed to residents.
“The City’s Water and Sewer Department consistently tests water for contaminants, and our drinking water levels continue to test below the maximum level set by the EPA, and therefore is safe for residents,” said Water Superintendent Marv Shepherd. “We will continue to work closely with the EPA to identify and clean up this site and are appreciative for the potential for federal dollars that come with this designation.”
Additional Background
The City of Goshen has been proactively working with the IDEM and the EPA to track the source of the contaminant at the North 5th Street Groundwater Contamination site. In 2021, the City announced that the Water and Sewer Department had been working closely with IDEM to determine the source by obtaining deep groundwater samples and requested the EPA place the site on the National Priorities List (NPL).
In 2022, the EPA placed this site on the NPL, which serves as the basis for prioritizing EPA Superfund cleanup funding. The City of Goshen will now be able to utilize federal funds only available for sites included on the NPL for long-term, permanent cleanup.
“These community interviews are part of the EPA’s process to ensure the Goshen community gets the information it needs about this site,” said Adrian Palomeque, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator. “Testing of the city wells shows the municipal drinking water meets federal EPA standards.”
Community Interviews Process
Community interviews are a typical part of the EPA’s process when working with Superfund sites. The feedback will help agency officials better understand what information the community needs and how they receive information. This feedback will be used to write a Community Involvement Plan for the site.
The EPA will schedule 30-minute one-on-one community interviews at the Goshen Public Library, 601 S 5th Street, on Tuesday, April 23, between 5 and 7:30 p.m. and on Wednesday and Thursday, April 24 and April 25, between 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. To schedule an interview, call or email EPA contractor Gavin Reynolds at 312-201-7446 or gavin.reynolds@tetratech.com.
Additional Information:
For additional information on the North 5th Street site, visit epa.gov/superfund/north5thstreet
For further questions about the site, contact Adrian Palomeque, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, at 440-250-1715 or palomeque.adrian@epa.gov