THE ECI SITE (SITE) IS A FORMER PETROLEUM REFINERY LOCATED IN EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA. THE SITE IS BOUNDED ON THE EAST BY INDIANAPOLIS BOULEVARD, ON THE NORTH BY CLINE AVENUE, ON THE WEST BY THE BP WHITING REFINERY, AND ON THE SOUTH BY A PIPELINE ALLEY AND GOLF COURSE. THE LAKE GEORGE BRANCH OF THE INDIANA HARBOR SHIP CANAL CUTS THROUGH THE SITE CREATING A NORTH AND SOUTH SECTION OF THE FACILITY. FROM 1918 THROUGH THE LATE 1980S THE ECI SITE WAS THE LOCATION FOR AN OIL REFINERY AND TANK FARM COVERING OVER 150 ACRES. ONE HUNDRED ACRES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE INDIANA HARBOR SHIP CANAL (IHSC) HOUSED THE REFINERY, WHILE THE TANK FARM WAS ON THE 50 ACRES SOUTH OF THE CANAL.
THE USAGE IS CURRENTLY BUILDING A CONFINED DISPOSAL FACILITY (CDF) ON THE FORMER REFINERY PARCEL ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CANAL. CONSTRUCTION OF THE BELOW-GROUND FEATURES OF THE CDF OVER THE LAST EIGHTEEN MONTHS HAS CAUSED A CHANGE IN THE GROUNDWATER FLOW AT THE SITE. GROUNDWATER IS POOLING WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTED PORTION OF THE CDF AND FLOWING TOWARD THE CANAL. THE NEW FLOW PATTERN HAS CAUSED INCREASED DISCHARGES TO THE IHSC AND THE FAILURE OF RETAINING WALLS ALONG THE CANAL.
TO ADDRESS THE GROUNDWATER FLOW, THE USAGE NEEDS TO INSTALL A PUMP SYSTEM TO EXTRACT AND TREAT WATER POOLING WITHIN THE SITE. WITHIN 6 MONTHS, THE USAGE WILL BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF A WATER TREATMENT PLANT THAT WILL SERVE THE CDF OVER THE NEXT THIRTY YEARS. TO CONTROL WATER BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, THIS AOC WOULD REQUIRE THAT THE USAGE IMPLEME