Soil cleanup completed as required by EPA at former Koppers facility in Carbondale, Illinois
CHICAGO (Feb. 25, 2021) –U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the completion of another cleanup at the former Koppers Wood-Treating Facility at 1555 North Marion St. in Carbondale. The agency required the current owner, Beazer East Inc., to address dioxin/furan-contaminated soil on 16 acres of the site.
Work crews cleared trees and brush to expand existing soil covers and excavated more than 34,000 tons of contaminated soil. The company also seeded native plants in accessible areas and will resume seeding remaining areas in the spring. Erosion controls will be maintained at site boundaries and around the ditches and creek until the seeding is done and vegetation is established.
Previously, in 2010, Beazer East completed a six-year cleanup at the site under EPA’s supervision. The discovery of remaining contamination made additional cleanup necessary. Both cleanups were ordered under the authority of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
From 1902 until 1991, Koppers treated railroad cross ties, utility poles and other wood products with chemical preservatives at its Carbondale facility which contaminated land and nearby waterways.
For more information on the soil cleanup and the Koppers site, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/hwcorrectiveactionsites/hazardous-waste-cleanup-former-koppers-wood-treatment-facility-carbondale. You may also review site records at the Carbondale Public Library, 405 W. Main St., 618-457-0354.
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