Editing Kokomo, Indiana (section)

=== Continental Steel Corporation ===
From 1914 through 1986, the [[Continental Steel Corporation]] facility produced nails, wire and wire fence from scrap steel on a {{convert|183|acre|adj=on}} facility in Kokomo. Manufacturing operations in the steel plant and on other portions of the property included the use, handling, storage and disposal of hazardous materials. Steel-making operations had included reheating, casting rolling, drawing, pickling, galvanizing, tinning and tempering.

After the company filed for bankruptcy in 1986, EPA and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management investigated the plant and property and found soil, sediments, surface water and ground water contaminated with volatile organic compounds (PCBs) and several metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium. Lead contamination was also detected in soils on nearby residential properties.

The site was proposed to the [[National Priorities List]] as a [[Superfund]] site in 1988 and formally added in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web
 | title = Indiana Superfund sites
 | url = http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/query/queryhtm/nplfin.htm#IN|website=Epa.gov
 | access-date = August 31, 2015
}}</ref>

In April 2009, EPA received almost $6 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to complete needed cleanup at two problems at the Continental Steel Superfund site: the former Slag Processing Area and the site's contaminated ground water. The ARRA funding helped accelerate the cleanup of hazardous waste on the site. In the process, total of 15 Indiana contractors or subcontractors were involved in the ARRA-funded work, creating at least 45 temporary jobs.

In August 2010, using the ARRA funds, EPA completed the cleanup of the former slag processing area of the Superfund Site. Approximately {{convert|86000|short ton}} of slag were moved to the site's acid lagoon area for use as fill on that portion of the site. {{convert|2|ft|m|1|spell=In}} of clean soil were used to cap the former slag processing area, leaving it suitable for potential redevelopment. ARRA funds were also used to address contaminated groundwater at the site. This work included extensive groundwater sampling to determine the contaminated plume area and installation of groundwater extraction and monitoring wells. Three wind turbines will be used to generate much of the power needed to operate the groundwater extraction system.

Site cleanup was completed in August 2011.<ref>{{Cite web
 | title = Region 5 Cleanup Sites, Continental Steel Corp.
 | date = January 29, 2013
 | url = http://www.epa.gov/region5/cleanup/continental/|website=Epa.gov
 | access-date = August 31, 2015
}}</ref>

In 2016 the former site was approved as the location of a [[Solar farm]] with installation of panels beginning in August 2016. The estimated cost of the project is $10M.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ibj.com/articles/59066-10m-solar-farm-approved-for-ex-steel-plant-site-in-kokomo|title=$10M solar farm approved for ex-steel plant site in Kokomo|website=Ibj.com|date=June 17, 2016 |access-date=2016-08-15}}</ref>
The solar energy park began operating on December 29, 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kokomotribune.com/news/local_news/kokomo-solar-park-up-and-running/article_ed464302-d8fc-11e6-8cc6-0339d0d179ce.html |title=Kokomo solar park up and running |publisher=Kokomo Tribune |date=12 January 2017 |access-date=30 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://inovateus.com/projects/kokomo-solar-1/ |title=Kokomo Solar 1 |date=August 6, 2021 |publisher=Inovateus |access-date=22 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.innergex.com/sites/kokomo/ |title=Kokomo Solar project |publisher=Innergex |access-date=22 July 2022}}</ref>