Land Quality, at the Office of Environmental Services (OES), provides planning, technical assistance and contract oversight for City or City-supported environmental projects. Land activities include: household hazardous waste disposal (ToxDrop), delineation and remediation of contaminated properties, and hazardous materials disposal for city operations.
Household Hazardous Waste (ToxDrop)
The ToxDrop program was one of the first of its kind in the United States. It is designed to give residents a solution for proper disposal of household chemicals (such as paints, batteries, cleaning solutions, etc.) free of charge. Since 1986, this program has been extremely successful in preventing toxic chemicals from being improperly disposed. There are now four permanent ToxDrop sites in Marion County, which collect and dispose of these chemicals in an environmentally safe manner.
The Marion County
Wellfield Protection Zoning Ordinance protects Marion County's underground drinking water supply. The Ordinance, administered by the Department of Metropolitan Development and technically assisted by OES, defines and supports the City's groundwater protection policy. It requires new facilities which are constructed in wellfield protection areas to be reviewed by the City in order to minimize the potential for chemical releases into the groundwater.
Brownfield Redevelopment
Brownfields are abandoned, idle, or under-utilized industrial or commercial property. OES provides technical assistance for the redevelopment of brownfields. This promotes economic growth, community development, and neighborhood revitalization through the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development (see links below).
Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development Indianapolis Economic Development
Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Cleanup and RedevelopmentIndiana Department of Environmental Management BrownfiledsBrownfield News Online
Environmental Remediation
OES conducts environmental assessments which may include subsurface investigations, delineations, and remediation activities. These are performed on real estate owned or that may be purchased by the City in order to assess environmental liabilities.