(Michigan City, IN) - The Michigan City Common Council is being asked to get involved in the future clean-up planned at the NIPSCO generating station.

 

A clean up of the site is planned by NIPSCO when the utility begins the process of closing the facility on U.S. 12 a few years from now.  Susan Thomas of the group, Just Transition for Northwest Indiana, told the city council not all of the toxic coal ash is going to be removed from the site under NIPSCO’s current environmental remediation plans.

 

Thomas said coal ash disposed of decades ago that’s already finding its way into Lake Michigan would remain.  She said the coal ash produced from burning coal to produce electricity is right along the shoreline held back from the water by a close to century old corroded steel wall fast reaching its age limit. 

 

“It is leaking.  It is cracked.  This is a problem,” she said.  Thomas said some of the toxins are already finding their way into Lake Michigan used for drinking water by four states.

 

She asked the city council to ask NIPSCO in writing to remove all of the coal ash from the site.

NIPSCO plans to close the generator and one near Wheatfield to move away from coal for producing electricity.  The utility plans to replace the electricity from other producers and rely more on solar and wind for meeting the needs of its customers.