HOW DOES THIS AFFECT ME IN THE CHEMICAL MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION BUSINESS?
- Changes to Indianapolis zoning codes and Marion County health ordinances will likely affect your business operations by mandating certain Best Management Practices (BMPs) that were previously voluntary.
- If you are careful to contain your contaminants, you will avoid polluting your site, or environs and avoid a potentially expensive clean-up down the road.
- Being a good neighbor in your wellfield is good for your business – it will be appreciated by your customers.
WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT A WELLFIELD?
For many years we believed that our groundwater was protected from contamination by being underground. We now know that substances on the surface can seep down and contaminate our drinking water supply. As Central Indiana grows the only source of additional water will be the groundwater resources.
WHAT ARE POTENTIAL CONTAMINANTS?
In the chemical industry, leaking storage tanks are an obvious hazard. But don’t forget distribution lines and transportation vessels, such as tanker, and railroad tank cars. Keeping chemicals from the ground is the obvious goal.
WHAT CAN I DO AT MY PLACE OF BUSINESS OR MY CUSTOMER’S PLACE OF BUSINESS TO HELP PROTECT GROUNDWATER?
- If not already done, upgrade your storage tanks to meet federal and state requirements.
- Retail chemical sales should only have product inside the business and have containment pans underneath displays to retain spills from broken containers.
- Clean-up minor spills (0.5 to 5 gallons) with granular absorbents, such as cat litter, and take it to a city ToxDrop site for proper disposal.
- Train all store employees on spill prevention and containment.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
There are many resources and face-to-face help to assist you in being compliant. Here’s what you can do:
- Review our resource page for helpful videos, websites, and signs for your business.
- Contact us for a business assessment or help on developing your spill plan.
