Correcting the Record
The Realities of Coal Ash Clean-Up at NIPSCO’s Michigan City Generating Station
NIPSCO has a long record of misleading the Michigan City area community about the health impacts of its coal-burning operations at the Michigan City Generating Station (MCGS). NIPSCO is decommissioning MCGS between 2026 and 2028, so the utility has begun to close its onsite coal ash waste; however, we know that millions of tons of toxic coal ash fill remain indefinitely on Lake Michigan. We are setting the record straight about what is happening at the site and encourage our readers to sign and continue sharing our petition to demand a clean closure at MCGS.
THE PR: NIPSCO is cleaning up 100% of the toxic coal ash at Michigan City Generating Station (MCGS).
THE REALITY: False. NIPSCO is cleaning up only 5 of the coal ash pits at MCGS. The remaining fill on the lake AND under the parking area (SWMU 12–Solid Waste Management Unit 12) will remain in place, holding large volumes of ash dating from 1931-1970. Some of this ash is in contact with the water table and thus will continue to leach hazardous chemicals into Lake Michigan and Trail Creek.
THE PR: There are not 2 million tons of toxic coal ash sitting on Lake Michigan at NIPSCO’s MCGS.
The REALITY: The truth is that NIPSCO has no idea how much coal ash is buried at MCGS. The 2 million ton figure comes from a report commissioned by NIPSCO itself that dismisses lower estimates as “improbable” since they depend on the assumption that coal ash from the first few decades of MCGS operation was fully excavated in the 1960s. There is no evidence to suggest that this is the case, so any estimates that don’t include this legacy coal ash would be far short of the mark. The reality is that the total amount of coal ash buried on our shoreline may be far GREATER than 2 million tons, which is why an independent scientific analysis to determine the full extent of contamination is imperative.
THE PR: The coal ash situation at MCGS poses no danger to human health or the environment.
THE REALITY: This could not be further from the truth. The constituents of coal ash: lead, arsenic, molybdenum, cadmium, etc. are all proven to harm human health and the environment. A prime example of this is directly linked with the cleanup workers of the 2008 Kingston, TN coal ash spill. Hundreds of workers are now excruciatingly ill or have died prematurely from the impact of being exposed to coal ash. Further, NIPSCO makes a false claim when they say that their coal ash has not harmed the environment because NIPSCO has admitted to contaminating groundwater with arsenic and other hazardous chemicals. This contaminated groundwater is flowing into Lake Michigan and Trail Creek. NIPSCO has not done the necessary investigations into whether the contamination is harming aquatic life. But just because they haven’t looked doesn’t mean the damage is not occurring!
THE PR: The seawall structure holding the toxic coal ash fill in on Lake Michigan is structurally sound.
THE REALITY: Nope. According to NIPSCO’s own reports, there are points in the seawall that rate only fair or poor, which warrants more frequent inspection. They have had to cease using parts of a parking deck to avoid undue strain on the structure. Holes, missing sections, and tilted areas are visible to the naked eye, all included in NIPSCO’s analysis. High waves and scientifically documented erosion activity put all industry, pavement, and structures on Lake Michigan at high risk for failure.
THE PR: NIPSCO continues to monitor their groundwater pollution at the site according to EPA/IDEM coal ash rules.
THE REALITY: False. NIPSCO uses polluted wells rather than newer ones to provide baseline samples to IDEM and EPA, thus providing non-compliant samples that falsify data. Using illegally-sited wells also allows NIPSCO to underestimate the impact of their leaking ponds and allows them to avoid an effective cleanup of contaminated groundwater.
THE PR: NIPSCO has done its due diligence in cleaning up the company’s mess in the Town of Pines.
THE REALITY: Hardly. After decades of NIPSCO knowingly dumping toxic coal ash on the Town of Pines, and despite an Alternative Superfund status mandated cleanup, residents in the Town of Pines still suffer from decreased health and property value as their wells, yards and streets were poisoned. Thirty-eight homes with toxic wells were denied a municipal water hookup and now rely on NIPSCO to provide bottled water. After more than twenty years, the soil is still contaminated with coal ash, and NIPSCO has not yet completed the cleanup mandated. NIPSCO has dragged its feet at every turn, resulting in a painful and arduous process for the people of the Town of Pines.
