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This article is part of a series on Mundell’s ongoing involvement at the former Amphenol Corporation site in Franklin, Indiana. View a complete list of media links or contact us at (317) 630-9060 to learn more about the project.
In June of 2018, Mundell & Associates, in collaboration with Edison Wetlands, conducted air sampling of homes in Franklin, Indiana due to potential concerns with historic industrial sites. In October, we returned to complete vapor intrusion sampling and testing (indoor air sampling) in 8 more homes, resulting in five homes with non-detectable levels for the chemicals of concern and three homes with low detections of TCE, PCE and 1,1,1 TCA below IDEM’s applicable screening levels.
In early January 2019, the community group If It Was Your Child and the environmental nonprofit Edison Wetlands Association demanded an investigation in a letter sent to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General. This past November Senator Joe Donnelly also called for the EPA to take over full investigation and remediation efforts in Franklin after new information was discovered about a 2013 report where IDEM (Indiana Department of Environmental Management) and Franklin city officials were notified of the detection of TCE at a leaking underground storage tank near the former Amphenol facility.
As vapor concentrations, particularly in indoor air, can fluctuate dramatically over the course of seasons, weeks, days, and even hours due to influences from barometric pressure, seasonal variance in soil moisture and temperature, or HVAC system operation, Mundell recommends further air sampling be conducted in order to provide a more complete picture of potential vapor intrusion risks to houses near the former Amphenol site.
President John Mundell spoke with CNN’s Miguel Marquez (The Lead) and WISHTV reporter Ricard Essex about the contaminated sites and EPA involvement.
More information: (317) 630-9060
Ask for Rachel Walker or fill out our contact form.
Background on the Investigation
A group of concerned parents are the drivers behind this investigation into chemical contamination. After a growing number of children were diagnosed with cancer, advocates create an organization called “If It Was Your Child” and enlisted the help of a national environmental non profit group called Edison Wetlands to investigate potential contamination. The results and ensuing publicity caught national attention resulting in several of the mothers traveling to Washington DC to speak and lobby for funding of cancer cluster investigations. The community has been active in voicing concern to local government and IDEM officials as well.
View a compiled a list of stories about Franklin in the local news.
