WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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The City of Bloomington Utilities department continues to work on removing mercury and asbestos at the decommissioned Griffy Lake treatment plant.
Last night, the Utilities Service Board approved a $187,000 amendment to its existing contract with V.E.T. Environmental Engineering. The original contract was to handle the plant’s demolition. The amendment is meant to fast track the contamination cleanup.
CBU already conducted one mercury cleanup a few years back, when the contaminant leaked from broken water flow meters. According to Assistant Director of Engineering Brad Schroeder that cleanup was limited to a few select areas within the plant. Then, earlier this summer, asbestos was discovered in the floor tiles. Schroeder told Board President Julie Roberts more mercury was discovered during the asbestos removal, and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management was called.
The utilities department announced last week that a security firm has been hired to keep the public off the property. Utilities Director Vic Kelson says they’ve had 11 break-ins to the contaminated plant, in a single night. The area around the plant has not been tested for contamination, but anyone breaking into the property could track mercury or asbestos into the surrounding area.
Kelson told the board the trespassers are primarily high school and college students. Kelson said he doesn’t know how many people may have sidestepped security and slipped into the Griffy Lake treatment plant. The new warning signs for the Griffy Lake treatment plant go up tomorrow.
