IN City Finds Groundwater Contamination

September 28, 2010 - Terre Haute officials are concerned about soil and groundwater contamination recently discovered on the city’s near-north side.

Earlier this year, city officials hired an environmental consulting firm to test the soil and groundwater around a vacant lot at 301 N. 12th St., formerly the site of Chicago Towel Co., a dry-cleaning operation. The test results showed higher-than-permitted levels of tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene or PCE, a chemical used for dry cleaning and metal degreasing.

High concentrations of PCE can cause dizziness, headache, nausea, difficulty speaking and walking and even death, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"This is a first for us," Pat Martin, Terre Haute City Planner, told the Terre Haute Board of Public Works and Safety at a board meeting Monday. "We don’t have a script for this."

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