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BY JIM MASTERS
Times Correspondent | Sunday, September 05, 2004 | (No comments posted.)
HAMMOND -- City officials are preparing their case against a chemical treatment facility that reportedly fouled the air across a large section of north Hammond and landed the city's environmental director in the hospital last month.
Hammond Environmental Director Ron Novak, joined this week by Assistant City Attorney Alan Faulkner, Zoning Administrator Don Novak, Fire Chief Dave Hamm, City Councilman Mark Kalwinski, D-1st, and Chief of Staff Marty Weiglos, said they plan to use every resource at their disposal to ensure that ProLiquids, 3 141st St., complies with all local, state and federal environmental laws.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is conducting a separate investigation. If found in violation, ProLiquids could be shut down or be subjected to a fine of $2,500 per day per violation.
The company's owner, Jerry Dykstra, could not be reached for comment.
Novak said he was felled by a "wall of ammonia" as he entered ProLiquids through an open garage door Aug. 18. He and Kalwinski landed on ProLiquids' doorstep after driving around the area trying to trace the source of a what residents described as a strong, rotten fish-like odor permeating much of north Hammond, particularly the Pulaski Park neighborhood.
Following the release of ammonia, Novak ordered the building's doors and exhausts sealed, although ProLiquids is maintaining operations. No further incidents have been reported.
Novak said he continues to experience severe discomfort in his chest and difficulty breathing. It's yet to be determined whether his respiratory system has sustained any permanent damage, he said.
However, he said he wants to allay concerns that residents may have experienced harmful exposures, saying the ammonia effects were localized to the ProLiquids site.
ProLiquids, which has been operating under the auspices of Windmill Environmental Services LLC since January, had been permitted to treat only nonhazardous liquids, turning the compounds into solids and rendering them safe for deposit in a landfill, Novak said.
He suspects ProLiquids was treating fabric softener, which has a 5 percent ammonia content, when he came in contact with the emission. He regarded the fabric softener as a hazardous household waste and therefore in possible conflict with the city's environmental ordinance.
Additionally, city officials are investigating whether ProLiquids violated the city's nuisance ordinance as well as its zoning ordinance.
City ordinance requires any business in an industrial zone to have a material safety data sheet in an onsite lockbox, but Hamm said Hammond firefighters found that box empty.
Novak said there have been past problems with ProLiquids causing foul odors and treating hazardous waste products. However, he had conducted meetings with company officials and believed for the past two months they had cleaned up their act until the ammonia release.
Kalwinski said he received calls for three days following the Aug. 18 incident from residents complaining the foul stench was still in the air.
"People couldn't stay on their porches, they had to keep their windows closed," he said, noting a continued raspyness in his voice.
With the nearest home about 100 yards from ProLiquids, longtime residents in Hammond's heavily industrialized First District have dealt with foul odors and borne the health effects over the years, Kalwinski said. U.S. Liquids, purchased by Windmill Environmental Services LLC this year, was also prone to complaints, he said.
"We take zero tolerance regarding these types of events," Kalwinski said.
Weiglos said Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. wants to make sure the situation is corrected.
"The mayor doesn't want to run any business out of the city of Hammond, but you need to be a good corporate citizen. Otherwise, it's adios."
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