Air Monitoring

The two air monitoring programs at Indiana Harbor & Canal (IHC) Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) collect data, establish safety levels, and develop protocols to ensure that possible airborne emissions from the CDF and dredging activities are safe.

Ambient Air Monitoring

Collects long-term air quality data at the CDF and in the surrounding community, and assesses the impact of weather and seasonal variations on air quality data

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Ambient Air Monitoring Data

Real-Time Air Monitoring

Monitors air quality during dredging operations to ensure activities are conducted safely to avoid negative impacts consistent with USEPA guidance

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Note: In July 2021, USACE began the Phase 2 dike project to expand the CDF exterior dikes by 11 feet to maintain sufficient storage capacity for the intended project life, consistent with the original project authorization and plan. Dredging is not being performed while construction is underway. As a result, PID monitoring and turbidity monitoring are on hold. Real-time air monitoring continues in temporary locations off dike at onsite northeast and southeast stations using the M1 and M2 monitors (AM1 and AM2). The M3 and M4 monitors are not operating during dike expansion. Ambient air monitoring continues in one southwest location off dike (CON-SOUTH) and at the school. Dredging activities are anticipated to resume in 2024. More information »

Summary of Air Monitoring Programs

The table below summarizes the two air monitoring programs at IHC. For more details on each of these programs, see Ambient Air Monitoring and Real-Time Air Monitoring.

	Ambient Air Monitoring	Real-Time Air Monitoring
Goals	Establish a long-term air quality database Monitor and evaluate trends in ambient air quality Assess the impact of weather conditions on air quality measurements Obtain data on seasonal variations in air quality Assess the impacts of potential CDF emissions on the surrounding community	Air monitoring program for the dredging and CDF operations to monitor, notify, and verify the air quality at the site. Manage site operations to avoid negative impacts of potential air emissions. Ensure that work is conducted in a safe and effective manner for workers at the site as well as the community. Ensure that CDF operations are consistent with USEPA guidance for air quality impacts and IDEM regulations for air quality.
Frequency of collection	Periodically	Every 15-minutes during operations PID monitor is used once daily
Stations	5 stations during dredging: 4 on the CDF perimeter (North-CDF, East-CDF, South-CDF, and West-CDF) and 1 at the East Chicago High School 2 stations during dike construction: 1 off dike (Construction-South) and 1 at the East Chicago High School Ambient air monitoring locations	5 stations during dredging: 4 on the CDF perimeter (M1-M4) and 1 photoionization detector (PID) near the off-loading barge 2 stations during dike construction: 2 off dike (AM1, AM2) Real-time air monitoring locations. Particulate monitors collect data at each location. PID monitoring takes place daily at the dock area during dredging.
Monitors	4 high-volume (HI-VOL) vacuum pump air samplers (2 monitors during dike construction, Construction-South and School)	4 hybrid particulate monitors M1-M4 (2 monitors during dike construction AM1, AM2) 1 handheld photoionization detector (PID)
Parameters	Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) Particulate matter Metals, dioxins, and furans	Particulate matter (PM₁₀) emissions (dust) Total Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (PID)
Related Links	Ambient Air Monitoring Ambient air monitoring data	Real-Time Air Monitoring Particulates Data Dock Area PID Data Naphthalene Data (Historical)