Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 September 2005 — Page 2

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2005

INDY WORKS ► Continued from Page 1 lysts agree the budget problem has manifested because tax collection has not kept up with the growth of the city). But the Indiana General Assembly passed only a part, or two-fifths of the Indy Works plan, including Peterson’s provision of a consolidated city-county budget and consolidation of the police departments pending approval from the City-County Council. City officials claim that over $28 million cuts have had to be made as result of the Legislature’s refusal to pass the entire plan. Indianapolis has limited home rule in the area of government reform, and must seek state approval before making major structural overhauls. Indy Works also has to receive a seal of approval from the CityCounty Council where despite a 15-14 Democratic majority (Peterson is a Democrat), passage is no guarantee. Steve Talley, president of the council, said that although many councilors have reacted favorably to Indy Works, the proposal still has to be sold to both caucuses. “Once the councilors begin to understand what it does and what will happen if it’s not adopted, I believe we will get a majority for it, probably all of the Democrats and a considerable number of

Republicans,” said Talley. Some local officials have expressed concern about some aspects of Indy Works, including Sheriff Frank Anderson. Although the consolidated police force would be under his leadership, Anderson would be required to answer to an oversight commission. “Law enforcement consolidation must be the will of the people,” said Anderson. “If an informed electorate embraces consolidation it will work. On the other hand, consolidation based on sheer political strength will not work.” As far as the General Assembly is concerned Rep. Phil Hinkle, R-Indianapolis, chairman of the Indiana House committee on local government, said that he doesn’t expect the outcome of Peterson’s efforts to be much different this time around. “If you do what you’ve always doneyou’llgetwhatyou’ve always got. And that’s definitely what this amounts to, in my humble opinion,” said Hinkle. “The reason why Indy Works doesn’t work is because there are no spending cuts. If we are going to address the fiscal, there are going to have to be cuts or find away to increase revenue.” Hinkle said the concept of Indy Works is a good one because it

deals with an issue that must be addressed, but called the actual plan is “irresponsible”. He said it has already been proven that Indy Works won’t really save the city $35 million, and consultants hired by the city council have shown that at best, only $3.9 million will be saved through police consolidation. In addition Hinkle stated that the success of getting full support of Indy Works has been hampered because the mayor’s office has left important questions unanswered, such as the arrangements for a new county police headquarters, and has run government “by intimidation rather than communication.” “The mayor has not brought anyone to the table... Indy Works has been formed in a vacuum and you don’t do that in government,” said Hinkle. “You cannot do this kind of change in a vacuum. You got to bring people to the table. And when you don’t and questions are asked you’ve got to answer the questions. If the mayor is serious about wanting this he’ll sit down with others and say‘okay, what is it going to take for us to move down the road for abetter Indianapolis. And until that happens, it won’t happen.”

STADIUM ► Continued from Page 1 The Indiana Stadium and Convention Center Building Authority (ISCBA) will oversee the construction of the new stadium, which will be positioned south of the RCA Dome. Along with the 63,000 seats and 150 suites, the stadium will also include a retractable roof, street level team store, two level club lounge facilities at sideline locations and 60 concession stands. It has taken four years for the official groundbreaking to take place. It first started when the city and Colts began talks about renewing the team’s contract. At a Colts game this past December, Irsay and Peterson announced that the two sides had reached an agreement to keep the team in the city for the next 30 years. Then the talk of a new stadium came and Peterson had to find a way to pay for it. After Mitch Daniels was sworn in as governor in January, he and the state Legislature got involved and formed a state board that would oversee construction.

Nine months later the deal is done. Of all the groundbreaking ceremonies Peterson’s attended and taken part in, he says the Colts groundbreaking was the most difficult to get to. “But, it was worth it,” he said to nearly 500 people in attendance. For African Americans, the new stadium and expanded convention center is especially rewarding since the Indiana Black Expo (IBE) Summer Celebration and Circle City Classic take place in both venues. IBE President and CEO Joyce Rogers was among six who received a chrome plated shovel to dig into the dirt. NCAA President Myles Brand was also on hand representing collegiate sports. The new stadium will be complete when the NCAA hosts the men’s basketball Final Four in 2011. The biggest reward, Irsay hopes will come in the form of a Super Bowl. He says he hopes the new stadium will host football’s largest event between 2010 and 2015.

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SOIL ► Continued from Page 1 given an access agreement by the EPA. “I encourage everyone to sign this agreement, which allows the EPA to come onto the property and take samples of the soil.” Contractors will dig approximately from zero to six inches into the ground to sample the soil. The EPA is looking for a ratio at or higher than 400 milligrams of lead per kilogram of soil (400 parts per million). According to Mick Hans, spokesperson for the EPA, levels at this ratio or higher indicate contamination and pose a serious health risk to the residents. If the yard tested shows an unsafe level of lead, contractors will meet with the owner and discuss options for removal. According to Thevenow, contractors will dig up 12 inches of the soils. However, if the lead is found deeper than a foot, the contractors will dig up to 24 inches. “This usually will occur in areas where there is aplayground or garden,” said Thevenow. The contaminated soil and vegetation will be replaced with new soil and vegetation. American Lead operated the property from 1946 to 1965. National Lead purchased American Lead in 1965. It was during this time that American Lead owned the property that lead was released onto the ground and may have possibly affected the surrounding areas. In the mid-1960s, the main manufacturing building caught fire and burnt down. In 1971 National Lead removed several buildings and lead contamination from the property. However, the area was never fully cleaned. The site was vacant until Central Concrete Co. purchased it in 1985. It was then sold to Irving Materials Inc. in 1990. “We did some initial testing in the mid1990s,” said Thevenow. “The results were sent to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM).” In 1995the IDEM provided an expanded site investigation, which showed elevated levels of lead in the soils. As a result, the Marion County Health Department became involved and conducted voluntary lead screenings of residents in the area. As early as 1996 IDEM requested National Lead to conduct its own investigation of the property. In 1998 IDEM and National Lead arrived at an agreement for National Lead to conduct further testing and present results. In 1999 National Lead had contractors collect soil samples of the area. As late as 2001 IDEM approved National Lead’s site investigation. However, plans were abandoned when American Lead refused to sign a proposed plan for clean up. IDEM then eventually turned over the plan to the United States EPA in approximately 2003. EPA has since ordered National Lead to clean up the contaminated site. “EPA felt that it was urgent enough that National Lead had to do something,” said Rhame. “The level of lead contamination was high enough that we were seeing concentrations throughout the neighborhood and this could pose a serious health risk to residents in the neighborhood,” he said. While there has been investigation from the local, state and national level, it has been met with concern from local residents in the MartindaleBrightwood area. “I know that this has been an ongoing problem for at least 20 years,” said Webster. “There have been attempts to get interest about American Lead for some time,” she said. “We have been compiling informa-

tion about the contaminants affecting this area. It’s not just lead we are concerned with.” According to Webster, neighbors are concerned with other contaminants in the soil besides lead. She doesn’t feel officials have been forward with providing residents in the area adequate information. “It has taken awhile to find out that there was an agreement reached with National Lead.” This issue has gotten bigger than just us. “I’m concerned with the illnesses that have affected people in this area. My mom died from pancreatic cancer. Other neighbors have died from cancer. We are concerned with hyperactivity in children. We think that this should have been a concern a long time ago.” “We are encouraging residents if they have concerns about lead poisoning to visit our clinic and have a blood lead test,” said Thevenow. “The response to blood lead testing has not been overwhelming. More adults are tested than children and we are really concerned about children. Children under 6 are at higher risk for lead poisoning because their bodies can absorb lead easier. Marion County Health Department offers a free clinic every Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. for the public. The clinic is located at 3838 N. Rural St. Accordingto Webster residents are also concerned about the boundaries that were drawn for the clean up. “I believe that the contamination extends further than the boundaries set.” The decision to draw the boundaries was based on collected data. “This is the area that we could attribute to the plant,” said Rhame. “The EPA based this decision on air modeling, sampling, meteorological data and cleanups that occurred in the past from similar sites around this Region 5, (includes a six state area designated by the EPA Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota).” “With the data presented I feel confident that we can scientifically prove that National Lead is responsible for cleaning up the boundaries that were set. However, if there are concerns from residents beyond the designated boundaries, I want then to call the Marion County Health Department or the IDEM and voice their concern. If it is not looked at then call the EPA and we will handle the request case by case,” he said. If residents within the MartindaleBrightwood designated boundaries have concerns or questions about the lead removal from their yard call Joe Munoz, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator at 1-800-621-8431 ext. 67935. Accordingto Rhame, there is a work site mailbox located at 21st Street and Ralston Avenue where written questions and concern can be taken. Regular informational meetings about the lead clean up of Martin-dale-Brightwood site are scheduled at Martin University. Next meeting is scheduled on Monday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Martin University Gathertorium, 2171 Avondale Place. Signs of lead poisoning Stomach ache and cramps Irritability •Fatigue Constipation Headache 'Sleep disorders Poor appetite Frequent vomiting High blood pressure in adults High levels of lead poisoning can cause coma, convulsions and death

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