The city of Gary is ready to begin conversations about repurposing an about 114-acre former quarry, said Brenda Scott-Henry, director of sustainability and environmental affairs.
“We want to look at what the reuse possibilities can be for the site,” Scott-Henry said. “We’ve been filling it for years, so now let’s think about how we can take this wonderful piece of land and bring some economic opportunities to it.”
The Gary Redevelopment Department owns the J-Pit, a brownfield site, located near Colfax Avenue and 17th and 21st avenues. The J-Pit is about 25 to 30 feet deep, according to the city, and Gary is responsible for its management, including continual pumping to keep the quarry from filling with water.
The city plans to use the J-Pit “as a green infrastructure and wetland mitigation site,” according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
Scott-Henry also told the redevelopment commission that the city has removed barriers from the Lake Sandy Jo landfill superfund site to position it for redevelopment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the agency is conducting its seventh five-year review of the Lake Sandy Jo site.
Superfund law requires the agency to review sites where cleanup is complete and waste is managed on-site to “make sure the cleanup continues to protect people and the environment.” EPA’s cleanup included capping the landfill with clean soil and planting prairie grasses, and the agency extended municipal water supply to residents and conducted long-term groundwater monitoring.
“We’re looking to do the same thing for the J-Pit,” Scott-Henry said.
The city has filled in about two sections of land at the J-Pit, Scott-Henry said, and her department is ensuring Gary follows guidelines for clean field operation.
“We can only accept stones, concrete, gravel, sand and black dirt,” she said about filling the J-Pit. “We can’t accept any wood products, and we can’t accept any plastics or any of that type of thing.”
Redevelopment Commission President Ken Stalling thanked Scott-Henry for her work on the J-Pit cleanup. He asked for the redevelopment commission to continue to be looped in, whether through meetings or the city’s redevelopment director, Chris Harris.
“If you need to come before us again, we welcome you to give us updates,” Stalling said.
The EPA has offered support for the city during cleanup and as they seek economic opportunities for the J-Pit, Scott-Henry said Wednesday. They plan to have a “community engagement process” for cleanup and redevelopment, she added.
“We got a late start,” Scott-Henry said. “But we think we can get it done by the end of the year.”
