Questions about the Safety of Ongoing Repairs to NIPSCO’s Seawall Go Unanswered

NiSource, IDEM, and EPA fail to respond to questions about repairs to the seawall in Michigan City, holding back millions of tons of toxic coal ash

Michigan City, IN – On May 2, Just Transition Northwest Indiana (JTNWI) and Lisa Evans, senior counsel for Earthjustice, sent a time-sensitive request to NiSource, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and Region 5 EPA regarding the ongoing repairs of the Trail Creek seawall at the Michigan City Generating Station, recently downgraded in NIPSCO’s own report. This work, done with seemingly no public notice, raises many concerns and questions for the Michigan City area community. The seawall is the only barrier on the Lake Michigan shoreline holding back an estimated two million tons of fill containing toxic coal ash from the drinking water supply for 10 million people and recreational lake activity.

JTNWI and Earthjustice are gravely concerned about the potential release of toxic coal ash and demand answers.

The replacement of the steel piling wall along Trail Creek may cause the release of coal ash into the creek, as the area behind the piling wall contains a substantial amount of coal ash fill. This fill is contaminating onsite groundwater that flows into the creek and Lake Michigan. If a release occurs, there could be significant damage to the aquatic life, water quality, and fish regularly consumed by residents of Michigan City.

Best practices require NIPSCO to immediately test the water quality and sediments of Trail Creek for the presence of coal ash and coal ash contaminants. This should continue at weekly or monthly intervals throughout the construction project and for at least one month following the completion of the project. Testing results should be promptly shared with the public, preferably on a publicly accessible website. 

If testing results indicate that hazardous contaminants are exceeding safe levels in the water or sediment, NIPSCO should immediately notify EPA Region 5, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Michigan City Council, and the National Response Center and post such information on a publicly accessible website, including warnings to those fishing in Trail Creek.

In reaction to the non-response to this urgent and pressing matter, JTNWI and Earthjustice state: 

“As a Michigan City resident and avid Lake Michigan and Trail Creek recreator, the coal ash crisis at Michigan City Generating Station is of constant concern to me, especially in this era of environmental deregulation. It is unacceptable that we have no idea if any of these best practices were followed, if crucial follow-up testing of the impacted waterway has been scheduled, and if those results will be public. We deserve to know what’s happening there. We want answers.” -  Ashley Williams, Executive Director, JTNWI

"NIPSCO should remove its toxic coal ash from Trail Creek and Lake Michigan instead of providing a temporary fix. To make matters worse, this is being done in the dark, without providing critical information to the community. Our regulatory agencies should not be ghosting the people they were created to protect.” -  Lisa Evans, Senior Counsel, Earthjustice