EPA hosts open house in hopes of bringing a solution to residents living near Lusher Avenue

ELKHART, Ind.- Happening right now the EPA is hosting an open house in Elkhart to inform and educate neighbors about contaminated groundwater and how the problem will eventually be fixed.

Karen Kirchner, the remedial project manager for EPA Region 5 says these two, the groundwater and vapor intrusion areas of concerns, are going to be the main focus of the EPA’s interim action.

“We are in the midst of our interim action which is providing municipal water hook ups and vapor mitigation systems,” says Kirchner.

This is for all residents that live within these areas of concern, but that doesn’t necessarily mean all run the risk of contamination.

“We’re installing these as a preventative measure so not all of these homes are contaminated, but it’s going to take a while to clean the groundwater,” explains Kirchner. “So in the mean time we want to make sure these people are protected.”

According to Kirchner, home owners around lusher avenue have received notification in the mail.

“We’re here today to answer any questions they may have in regards to those.”

Jonathon Schramm, an environmental science associate professor at Goshen College, attended the open house even though he doesn’t live in the affect areas.

“We’re certainly all in the same community together,” he says.

Schramm says he learned a lot at of specifics at this event, that he will then relay to his students this year. “Who knows, we might be able to help identify next steps in some other parts of our water shed that we can work on together as a class with the community.”

This open house will be running until 8 p.m. on Monday.