Advance Plating Works

Site Information

Indianapolis, IN (Marion County)
EPA ID# INN000510649
Site Narrative
Alias(es): N/A
Map
Photos

Contact Information

Community Involvement Coordinator
Susan Pastor (pastor.susan@epa.gov)
312-353-1325 or 800-621-8431, ext. 31325

On-Scene Coordinator
Shelly Lam
(lam.shelly@epa.gov)
312-317-3073 or 317-417-0980

Repositories

(where to view written records)

Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
Garfield Park Branch
2502 Shelby St.
Indianapolis, IN

Links

EPA Superfund Home Page
Region 5 Superfund
Superfund Frequent Questions

Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry

OSC's Home Page

Background

Advance Plating Works, 1005 E. Sumner Ave., Indianapolis, IN, is in an industrial area on the south side of the city with a convalescent facility to the east and some homes within a few hundred feet to the northeast.

The family-owned business operated as a plating shop from 1912 to 2009 when owners declared bankruptcy. Former operations at the facility included nickel, chrome, zinc, cadmium, and copper plating. The site is vacant now except for two buildings--the former plating shop and a warehouse.

Before EPA was called to work at the site, there had been complaints of trespassing and metal scrapping at the abandoned facility. A section of wooden fence had been pulled down, overhead doors in the rear of the building were open and metal piping hanging over vats had been vandalized. There were drums on the property that appeared to contain hazardous substances. The side door of the second building was open.

Site Updates | Latest Update || Fact Sheets || Technical Documents

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Site Updates

March 2012

EPA has completed its cleanup. From September 20, 2011 to March 12, 2012, EPA and its contractors, in coordination with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management:

removed plating and wastewater vats
swept and pressure-washed the wastewater treatment room
disposed of remaining waste
monitored the air
secured the site
inventoried, segregated, and staged drums
collected samples for laboratory analysis
repaired damaged fencing
installed additional fencing where none existed.

EPA originally responded at the request of Marion County Public Health Dept. Drums, totes (large cube-like containers made of metal or plastic), plating vats and other containers were found inside and outside the facility buildings. Many drums were unlabeled and in poor condition. Labeled drums included toxic, corrosive, oxidizing, and flammable materials.

At that time, EPA documented 163 drums, 10 totes, five plating vats, five pits and sumps, and hundreds of small containers. Labeled materials included sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, potassium cyanide, sodium cyanide, sulfuric acid, hydrocyanic acid, nitric acid, and paint thinner. It was also determined that the abandoned drums posed a threat to people and the environment. In addition, there was also a threat of fire or explosion from improperly stored flammable materials in the building where trespassing had occurred.

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