STATE OF INDIANA

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

Michael R. Pence
Governor

State House, Second Floor

Indianapolis, Indiana 4.6204

December 14, 2016

Mayor Anthony Copeland
City of East Chicago
4527 Indianapolis Boulevard
East Chicago, Indiana 46312
Dear Mayor Copeland:
I write in response to your letter to Governor Pence, dated December 1, 2016, requesting a disaster
emergency declaration, pursuant to IC 10-14-3-12, for the West Calumet neighborhood and USS Lead
Superfund Zone. Let me begin by assuring you that we do not take lightly the challenges being faced by
your community. It is for this reason that we have remained in close communication with you and other
federal, state, and local officials.
At Governor Pence's direction, multiple state agencies have taken action to assist the City of East Chicago
with response efforts to address not only the environmental contamination, but to provide support for
housing, testing, and mental health. The state has also partnered with federal agencies to ensure
coordination at all levels of government despite it being a site under federal and local control due to its
Superfund status under the u.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA).
With regard to housing and relocation efforts, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority
(IHCDA) has worked in collaboration with the United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HOD) and the East Chicago Housing Authority (ECHA) following the relocation order you
issued. The agency also secured $100,000 in funding to help relocate the most vulnerable residents of the
community in the West Calumet Housing Complex. Additionally, the IHCDA has provided staffmg
resources onsite in East Chicago to assist residents with requests for vouchers, moving expenses, and
housing availability. Per a December 13, 2016 letter from the ECHA, this type of IHCDA staff assistance
is no longer required by the city at this time.
Finally, the IHCDA has worked with the ECRA to identify potential funding sources for the demolition of
existing West Calumet Housing Complex structures. Unfortunately, as you have also been notified, we
have learned that this specific property does not qualify for the federal Hardest Hit Blight Elimination
Program funds, as there are strict federal requirements that cannot be waived by the state or IHCDA, which
serves as the intermediary. To discuss next steps, stafffrom the Governor's Office, Lieutenant Governor's
Office, IHCDA, and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) traveled to East
Chicago on November 2, 2016 to meet with you and other local officials, during which time the IHCDA
recommended state loan andlor grant opportunities that the city can apply for to assist with securing and
then demolishing the facilities once all residents have been relocated. Based on the last discussion, these
opportunities are still available and do not depend on a disaster emergency declaration.
As for testing, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) has maintained a constant presence in East
Chicago over the last several months. Services provided include: mobile blood testing clinics, blood testing
at schools (during school hours), operating a "one-stop shop" in the West Calumet complex (where
residents are offered a variety of health and non-health services), and participating in community meetings

to keep residents informed of new developments. The agency has also provided $100,000 in funding to the
East Chicago Health Department (ECHD) to help fund a public health nurse and a public health educator
to assist with lead testing and education efforts in East Chicago. However, to date, the ECHD has not hired
or contracted with anyone to fill these positions even though your office has approved the hiring.
In order to address concerns about mental health awareness and outreach, the Indiana Family and Social
Services Administration (FSSA) has taken additional steps to ensure East Chicago residents and,
specifically, its children, have resources available to them. For instance, FSSA's Division of Mental Health
and Addiction (DMHA) staff have participated in community meetings and engaged the Indiana University
School of Social Work Northeast to provide additional social workers to the East Chicago community, in
collaboration with the local Community Mental Health Center and the U.S. EPA. DMHA staff also
continues to engage on weekly conference calls with local officials to determine if there are new focus areas
for mental health outreach that can provide further aid to East Chicago residents.
Further, state officials from ISDH and FSSA have attempted numerous times to contact East Chicago
Schools Superintendent Paige McNulty regarding her request for mental health services in the schools.
When she could not be reached by phone, Kevin Moore, the Director of DMHA, sent a letter to
Superintendent McNulty on September 15, 2016 describing the services that could be provided. Danielle
McGrath, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, also facilitated contact between DMHA and your
Corporation Counsel, Carla Morgan, via email on October 21, 2016 after learning of a request to train
individuals with the ECHD on mental health services and identification. To our knowledge, no mental
health services have been denied as state and local partners have offered or secured the requested resources
and subject matter experts to address the needs of the community. Should the needs change in the future,
additional services can certainly be explored.
Given the level of coordination among federal, state and local agencies, the state resources provided to date,
and the resources available under the federal Superfund program, the issues described within your letter are
being addressed without the need for a disaster emergency declaration and will continue to be addressed
through the cooperative partnerships that have been established. Should new needs arise, we recommend
that they be managed on a case-by-case basis to determine the best course of action. If you wish to discuss
the available assistance described in the aforementioned paragraphs, please do not hesitate to reach out to
Deputy Chief of Staff McGrath at dmcgrath@gov.in.gov.
Please know that both the Pence and Holcomb administrations will continue to work diligently to partner
with you at the local level, and that we thank you for your commitment and dedication to your community.

Office of Governor Mike Pence

CC:

Danny Lopez, Chief of Staff, Office of Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb

Danielle McGrath, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of Governor Mike Pence
Jacob Sipe, Executive Director, Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority
Kevin Moore, Director, FSSA Division of Mental Health and Addiction
Dr. Jerome Adams, Commissioner, Indiana State Department of Health