(Michigan City) - The Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) has announced plans to clean out five coal ash ponds in Michigan City.

Coal ash is the leftover material from burning coal to make electricity. Some of the material is recycled for building material. The rest sits in ponds.

With the phasing out of Michigan City’s Generating Station, NIPSCO plans to clean out five ponds containing coal ash. The material will be transported to the site of another generating station in Wheatfield, where a landfill has been designated. NIPSCO plans to replace the coal ash with clean fill material.

Indiana’s Department of Environmental Management must approve the plan, pending public comment. A public meeting will take place online Wednesday afternoon. The meeting will begin at 4:00 p.m. (CST) with a presentation by NIPSCO, followed by a Q&A session.

 

The meeting can be accessed online or by phone:

 

Virtual Location Link: https://tinyurl.com/NIPSCOmeeting
Dial in Only #: 1-866-692-3580, ID 710 234 333

 

For those unable to join the meeting, comments can be submitted directly to IDEM, by May 22, 2020, to Ahopkins@idem.in.gov. –or- mail submittals can be sent to:

 

Alyssa Hopkins, Permit Manager

Indiana Department of Environmental Management

Solid Waste Permits

IGCN 1101 

100 North Senate Avenue

Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251