Superfund Sites in Reuse in Illinois
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ALCOA PROPERTIES
The 400-acre Alcoa Properties Superfund site is in East St. Louis, Illinois. From about 1902 to 1957, Alcoa refined aluminum at the site. Smelting wastes contaminated soil and groundwater. The area is not on the National Priorities List (NPL). The site is being addressed through the Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA). EPA oversees the potentially responsible party’s cleanup. Investigations began in 2001. They are ongoing. To manage the cleanup, EPA divided the site into three areas, or operable units (OUs). The cleanup addresses smelting waste and soil (OU1), soil contamination (OU2) and groundwater (OU3). OU1 cleanup finished in summer 2016. It included consolidating and covering smelter wastes. OU2 cleanup includes waste excavation, a soil cover, reassessment of existing stormwater runoff controls, revegetation, institutional controls and monitoring for indoor radon. OU2 remedy construction was substantially completed in fall 2023.. EPA plans to issue a Proposed Plan for the final remedial action for OU3 in 2026. Commercial uses are active on the OU2 part of the site. At the request of EPA, the PRPs evaluated solar redevelopment as part of the OU1 remedy design. The City continues to pursue potential solar redevelopment opportunities at the site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 3 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 60 people and generated an estimated $77,458,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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BELOIT CORP.
The 175-acre Beloit Corp. Superfund site is in Rockton, Illinois. From 1957 to 1999, industrial operators ran a research center and made machines that produced layered paper products from paper pulp on site. These manufacturing activities resulted in contamination of area soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. EPA put in a groundwater treatment system and put land use controls in place to prohibit potable water wells on site. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has operated the treatment system since 2002. A grease, lubricating oil and fluids manufacturer relocated its distribution and field support operations to the site in 2008 and upgraded the facility. Another industrial business as well as several other commercial businesses are also on site. The site also includes part of a residential subdivision. EPA deleted part of the site from the NPL in December 2018. Impacts associated with a fire in 2021 at the neighboring Chemtool facility were assessed by EPA and IEPA. Due to the use of polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS)-containing fire suppressant, PFAS sampling has become part of the routine groundwater sampling of the treatment system.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 7 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 9 people and generated an estimated $305,120 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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BYRON SALVAGE YARD
The Byron Salvage Yard Superfund site is in rural Ogle County, Illinois. It consists of the 22-acre Byron Salvage Yard Property and the 150-acre Dirk’s Farm Property. From the 1960s to 1972, a junkyard and dump for miscellaneous waste and debris – Byron Salvage Yard – was active on-site. Disposal practices at the junkyard and the farm, including accepting drums of hazardous waste and dumping industrial wastes on the ground, resulted in contamination of groundwater and soil with volatile chemicals, metals and cyanide. In 1975, cleanup activities removed drums and treated contaminated soils. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1982. Cleanup included removal of more buried drums and contaminated soils, soil covering, groundwater use restrictions, alternate water sources for affected homes, drinking water filtration and fencing. In 1987, Illinois EPA finished disposing of 11,000 drums and 3,000 cubic yards of contaminated soils. Nearby homes connected to the public water supply. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing. Commercial and residential uses at or near the Byron Salvage Yard Property are ongoing. The Dirk’s Farm Property consists of farmland and open space.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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CELOTEX CORPORATION
The Celotex Corporation site is in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. For decades, manufacturing facilities made asphalt roofing materials on-site. These operations contaminated the property and nearby residential yards. After investigations by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Celotex Corporation removed on-site buildings and placed gravel across the area to help address flooding and off-site contamination. Cleanup of residential yards followed. The city of Chicago, the Chicago Park District and community organizations, such as the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, prioritized the area’s reuse as a community resource. To address potential Superfund liability issues for the locality, EPA developed a Prospective Purchaser Agreement, or PPA. It enabled the city to acquire the property and pursue redevelopment plans. With few parks in the community, the site offered a valuable opportunity for new recreation facilities. The city purchased the site in 2012. La Villita Park opened to the community in 2014. The complex includes athletic fields, a skate park, basketball courts, community gardens, a playground and splash park, a picnic pavilion, concession areas, a multi-use trail with fitness stations, and environmentally friendly utilities. Since park planning started, community perspectives have been a vital part of the process. Community members were involved in the park’s design and naming and are involved in ongoing development of park programming. In 2022, the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization opened La Villita Community Farm at the park. The 1.3-acre farm is an informal agricultural school for community members. Small-scale Indigenous farming practices are part of its operations.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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CIRCLE SMELTING CORP.
The 28-acre Circle Smelting Corp. Superfund site is in Beckemeyer, Illinois. A zinc refinery was on-site from 1904 to 1994. Operators discarded residual metals, coal cinders and slag from the smelting process in piles on the property. Those disposal practices resulted in elevated concentrations of lead, zinc, cadmium, nickel and copper in the soil. Lead-contaminated materials from the facility were also used in walking paths, driveways and alleys in Beckemeyer. In 1996, EPA proposed adding the site to the National Priorities List (NPL). Cleanup activities began in 1998. They are ongoing for parts of the site. EPA has cleaned up over 300 properties. EPA removed contaminated soil from the smelter property, the village and nearby wetlands, and placed it under a concrete cover. A local trucking company purchased a cleaned-up part of the site property and paved it for use as a parking lot. A prospective purchaser agreement (PPA) signed by the trucking company and EPA in 1999 made the acquisition possible. A PPA encourages the reuse of Superfund site properties by addressing purchaser and lessee liability concerns. The PPA limits the company’s liability in exchange for sharing the costs of cleanup. The trucking company remains active on-site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 10 people and generated an estimated $430,610 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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DEPUE/NEW JERSEY ZINC/MOBIL CHEMICAL CORP.
The DePue/New Jersey Zinc/Mobil Chemical Corp. Superfund site is in the village of DePue in Bureau County, Illinois. The 950-acre area includes Lake DePue and borders the DePue-Donnelly Wildlife Management Area. Starting in 1903, New Jersey Zinc ran zinc smelting facilities on a stretch of former farmland. New Jersey Zinc built more facilities in 1967 to produce phosphate-based fertilizers. Mobil Chemical Corporation began leasing these facilities in 1972 and purchased them in 1975. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) and EPA inspected the site. They found heavily contaminated surface water and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1999. Site cleanup has included water treatment, removal and containment of contaminated sediments, and capping and revegetation of other site areas. Cleanup of residential areas started in 2020 and is ongoing. Investigations of other site areas are ongoing. With assistance from EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program (SRP), the village of DePue (the Village) developed a reuse plan for the site in 2004. The plan later informed the 2014 DePue Comprehensive Plan adopted by the North Central Illinois Council of Governments. Today, the Village hosts the National Power Boat Racing Association’s races, held each summer on Lake DePue. Ponds and wetlands areas are also on site. White City Park and Lake Park provide baseball and softball fields, a playground and picnic areas. Other site uses include commercial, industrial, public service and agricultural areas. A solar array is present on a portion of the site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 22 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 148 people and generated an estimated $5,120,492 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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DUPAGE COUNTY LANDFILL/BLACKWELL FOREST PRESERVE
The 40-acre DuPage County Landfill/Blackwell Forest Preserve Superfund site is in the 1,200-acre Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville, Illinois. DuPage County established the landfill intending to create a hill to serve as a recreation amenity. It accepted waste from 1965 to 1973. Known as Mt. Hoy, the resulting mountain of waste and soil rises 150 feet above the original ground surface. EPA identified contamination in groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. EPA’s cleanup repaired the landfill cap, put in a landfill gas extraction system and a leachate collection system, treated and disposed of the landfill leachate, and put in more landfill gas vents. EPA continues to monitor the natural breakdown of groundwater contamination. Use controls restrict land and groundwater use. Cooperation among EPA, Illinois EPA and the site’s potentially responsible party enabled the forest preserve to address potential risks while maintaining public access to recreation and conservation activities. An on-site recreation area features restored native prairie vegetation, picnic areas, trails, an observation area and a snow tubing run on Mt. Hoy. Other recreation and education activities – including two lakes used for fishing, an archery range and an urban stream research facility – are next to the site. They are also in the Blackwell Forest Preserve. EPA took the site off the NPL in September 2020.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
For more information:
- Recreational and Ecological Use at Superfund Sites Story Map
- Site Redevelopment Profile: DuPage County Landfill/Blackwell Forest Preserve Superfund Site (PDF)
- Superfund Site Profile Page
- DuPage County Landfill/Blackwell Forest Preserve: A Superfund Site Reuse Success Story
ELLSWORTH INDUSTRIAL PARK
The Ellsworth Industrial Park site is an industrial area in Downers Grove in DuPage County, Illinois. Built in the late 1950s, the industrial park includes about 135 businesses. Several businesses at the facility used solvents containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) migrated from source areas to private drinking water wells in unincorporated areas of Downers Grove. Sampling found groundwater contamination in 2001. In 2004, about 800 homes to the south and east of the industrial park connected to the public drinking water supply. EPA did not add the site to the National Priorities List (NPL). It is an NPL-caliber site. EPA addresses it through the Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA). Cleanup includes digging up and removing contaminated soil, replacing it with clean fill, and treating deeper soil and groundwater in place. It also includes preventing the collection of harmful chemical vapors from the soil inside buildings. Groundwater investigations are ongoing. Current site uses include dozens of commercial and industrial businesses and non-profit organizations, homes, public services and a creek.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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EVERGREEN MANOR GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION
The Evergreen Manor Ground Water Contamination Superfund site is a 2-mile-long area of groundwater contamination in Roscoe Township, Illinois. Sampling found the contamination in 1990. Investigations found that contamination came from former waste disposal practices at three companies, Waste Management, Regal-Beloit and Ecolab, located near the intersection of Route 251 and Rockton Road. The area of contamination extended to the Rock River. After initially proposing the site for listing on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1999, EPA managed the site using the Superfund Alternative Approach. Cleanup included natural processes to help break down contaminants in groundwater and monitoring. Restrictions on groundwater use prevented exposure to contamination. Today, cleanup is complete. Groundwater complies with safe drinking water standards. Residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial areas above the groundwater contamination remain in continued use. Waste Management, Regal-Beloit and Ecolab remain active on-site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 3 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 243 people and generated an estimated $178,085,310 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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GALESBURG/KOPPERS CO.
The 105-acre Galesburg/Koppers Co. Superfund site is in Galesburg, Illinois. Since 1907, operators at the wood-treating facility have treated railroad ties with heat, pressure, creosote and coal tar. Past waste disposal practices led to contamination of soil and groundwater on and around the site. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup activities included treatment of contaminated soil and groundwater. Annual groundwater monitoring and operation and maintenance activities are ongoing. Wood-treating operations remain active on-site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 41 people and generated an estimated $19,249,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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H.O.D. LANDFILL
The 121-acre H.O.D. Landfill Superfund site is in Antioch, Illinois. It includes a former landfill and 70 acres of undeveloped land that served as a buffer area for the landfill. From 1963 to 1984, the landfill accepted municipal and industrial waste. In 1984, Waste Management closed and capped the landfill. Its operations resulted in groundwater contamination. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. Cleanup included landfill cap repairs, leachate treatment and upgrades to the landfill’s gas and leachate extraction system. The site’s potentially responsible parties (PRPs) also began monitoring groundwater and placed land use restrictions on the property. Remedy construction finished in 2001. EPA worked with the community on a reuse plan in 2002. EPA issued a Ready for Reuse Determination for the site in 2003. It highlighted the compatibility of the remedy with recreational uses. The school district expressed interest in using methane gas produced by the landfill. After construction of a methane co-generation plant, methane gas from the landfill supplied heat and electricity to Antioch Community High School from 2003 to 2013. Today, recreational resources at the site include a playground, a concession stand and restroom building, and athletic fields for soccer, baseball, softball and field hockey. Area schools use on-site wetlands as an environmental education resource.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
For more information:
- H.O.D. Landfill Ready for Reuse Determination (2003) (PDF)
- Energizing a New Future: Alternative Energy and Recreational Reuse at the H.O.D. Landfill Superfund Site in Northern Illinois (PDF)
- Superfund Site Profile Page
HEGELER ZINC
The 149-acre Hegeler Zinc Superfund site is in Danville, Illinois. From 1906 to 1954, Hegeler Zinc used the area for zinc smelting, cadmium processing and sulfuric acid production. Afterward, several other companies used the area for insecticide packaging and fireworks storage and manufacturing. Workers stored wastes on-site. Emissions deposited heavy metals on the ground in the area. This contaminated soil, groundwater, surface water and sediment at the facility as well as soil on nearby residential properties. Investigations by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency began in 2001. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2005. Cleanup of 39 residential properties included digging up, removing and disposing of contaminated soil from the yards and backfilling the areas with clean soil. EPA completed residential yard cleanups in 2016. The homes are in continued use. In 2023, EPA selected long-term remedies for the former smelter facility and an un-named tributary to Grape Creek. EPA’s cleanup will involve digging up contaminated sediment and soil and adding it to the existing slag pile or taking it off-site for disposal. EPA will then place a low-permeability cover over the pile, reroute parts of a creek away from the slag pile, and continue monitoring groundwater and surface water.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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ILADA ENERGY CO.
The 17-acre Ilada Energy Co. Superfund site is next to the Mississippi River levee in a rural area southeast of East Cape Girardeau, Illinois. In 1942, the federal government built and operated a tank farm at the site. Several companies ran the tank farm until 1981, when Ilada Energy Company took over operations. The firm put in more tanks and structures and operated a waste oil reclamation facility. In the 1980s, investigations found contaminated sludge, soil, liquid oil waste and groundwater resulting from improper storage, use and disposal of waste oil. Ilada Energy Company ended operations at the site in 1983. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. The potentially responsible parties (PRPs) led cleanup activities, removing all tanks and their contents as well as piping, structures, debris and contaminated soil. The PRPs completed the removal activities in 1991. In 2001, EPA took the area off the NPL. The current site owner purchased the property in 2006. The owner has not identified any plans for building on the property. The owner uses the area for recreation activities. The site is swampy and supports ecological use, providing habitat for native grasses and weeds as well as aquatic plants. The U.S. Forest Service maintains the forest next to the site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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JOHNS-MANVILLE CORP.
The Johns-Manville Corp. Superfund site covers approximately 350 acres in Waukegan, Illinois. From the 1920s to 1998, an asbestos manufacturing facility with several waste management features including landfills were active on-site. Disposal practices resulted in air, groundwater and surface water contamination with asbestos and metals. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup activities included consolidating waste, placing clean soil and establishing vegetation over waste disposal areas, placing sand and gravel onsite roadways, installing stormwater drainage features, institutional controls, and periodic sampling of air, soil, and groundwater. All former manufacturing buildings were demolished in 2000 and 2001. The remedy also included putting barriers in place to prevent contact with contamination. These barriers included engineered capping systems across various site features with vegetated soil cover, fencing and signage. Sampling identified additional areas of asbestos contamination outside of the site perimeter fence. Cleanup of these areas are complete, with the exception of a 1-acre disposal area that extends into an adjacent nature preserve. EPA oversaw large scale air-sampling in the Illinois Beach Nature Preserve area north of the Johns Manville site in 2023 and 2024. Inspections, maintenance and groundwater monitoring are ongoing. A utility corridor crosses the site. In 2016, several piping plovers, rare birds protected by the Endangered Species Act, established a nesting area at the site. This inspired a community-led exploration of ecological reuse opportunities. The site now serves as a buffer between the nature preserve to the north and industrial land use to the south.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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KERR-MCGEE (REED-KEPPLER PARK)
The Kerr-McGee (Reed-Keppler Park) Superfund site is one of four areas associated with radioactive waste contamination in West Chicago, Illinois. The site spans 11 acres of a larger 90-acre area. A sand-and-gravel quarry was active on parts of the 11-acre site in the early 1900s. The area also hosted a small municipal landfill, which received waste as fill material for the quarry, from the 1930s to 1974. The landfill accepted waste materials, including radioactive tailings from the nearby Rare Earths Facility. Operators used the mill tailings to cover the landfill and provide fill for the surrounding park. Parts of the landfill area were fenced in the 1970s. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. Investigations at the park in 1993 found small areas of contamination scattered across the site in addition to the landfilled area and identified groundwater contamination. Prior to cleanup, the community expressed interest in redeveloping the area as an aquatics center. EPA worked with the local park district on a focused investigation for the proposed development area. The park district identified potential areas of contamination that required modification of the building plans for the aquatic center to avoid contaminated areas. The Prairie Oaks Family Aquatic Center opened on-site in 1995. Cleanup activities for other parts of the site removed all contaminated soil between 1997 and 2000. In 2010, EPA took the site off the NPL. The site can accommodate unrestricted use. Reed-Keppler Park now features sports fields, a skateboard park, two playgrounds, a concession stand, pavilions, a 25-acre nature sanctuary, a dog park and parking. The park is also home to the West Chicago Park District Wildcat Youth Football League. In 2022, the local park district commemorated its 50-year anniversary with a public celebration at the park. Commercial and industrial businesses and a water park are also on-site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 12 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 92 people and generated an estimated $9,473,430 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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KERR-MCGEE (RESIDENTIAL AREAS)
The Kerr-McGee (Residential Areas) Superfund site is in West Chicago, Illinois. From 1932 to 1973, operations at the Rare Earths Facility, located nearby, produced non-radioactive elements known as rare earths, radioactive elements and gas lantern mantles. Production of these compounds generated radioactive waste. Before the health risks associated with radioactive materials were known, residents and contractors used the waste as free fill material. Wind may have also spread the waste to nearby properties. Kerr-McGee bought the Rare Earths Facility in 1967 and ran operations until 1973. Radioactive materials from windblown contamination and the use of the waste as fill material contaminated site properties in the West Chicago area. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. Cleanup included soil sampling and cleanup at hundreds of properties. Many commercial businesses and a public library are in use on-site today. Continued uses at the site include residential, institutional, commercial, industrial and municipal areas.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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KERR-MCGEE (SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT)
The Kerr-McGee (Sewage Treatment Plant) Superfund site is in West Chicago, Illinois. It includes the 25-acre West Chicago Sewage Treatment Plant and about 1.2 miles of West Branch DuPage River’s sediments, banks and floodplain soils. The city of West Chicago (the City) built the West Chicago Sewage Treatment Plant in 1919. It accepted radioactive waste materials from the Kerr-McGee Rare Earths Facility. It used them as fill material, causing soil contamination. Contamination also entered the West Branch DuPage River. From 1986 to 1987, Kerr-McGee led cleanup activities to allow the City to expand the treatment plant. However, more investigations found more radioactive waste contamination. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. Cleanup at the treatment plant included removal and off-site disposal of contaminated soil and sediment. Cleanup of the river part of the site, including habitat restoration, took place from 2004 to 2008. After cleanup, EPA took the site off the NPL in 2013. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County (the District) owns most of the land along the river portion of the site. EPA worked with the District to share technical expertise and guidance related to achieving restoration goals. The District also helped fund restoration activities at the site. Land use along the river portion of the site is primarily recreational. The ecological health and recreational use of the river increased after cleanup and restoration activities. A sewage treatment plant continues to operate on part of the site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 10 people. For additional information click here.
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LASALLE ELECTRIC UTILITIES
The 10-acre LaSalle Electrical Utilities Superfund site is in LaSalle, Illinois. The LEU Company, an electrical equipment manufacturer, opened on-site before World War II. From about 1943 to 1982, the facility made capacitors for industrial applications and power transmission. From the late 1940s to 1978, operators used polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in capacitor production. Reports allege the application of PCB-contaminated waste oil as a dust suppressant, both on-site and off-site, until 1969. Starting in 1975, government agencies, including EPA, Illinois EPA, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), led inspections and issued complaints and orders to the LEU Company to address improper manufacturing and handling practices. In 1982, the company filed for bankruptcy. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. EPA took actions to secure the area, consolidating drummed waste and controlling off-site migration of surface water. Cleanup included removing PCB-contaminated soils from yards, road shoulders, farm fields and business areas, and treating the soil on-site. It also included demolition of the industrial complex, decontamination of structural steel for recycling, shipping of non-thermally destructible material off-site for disposal, thermal destruction of PCB-contaminated soil, building demolition debris and contaminated stream sediments, groundwater cleanup, and soil vapor extraction. EPA is working with Illinois EPA to reevaluate the remedy following the flooding of the groundwater treatment building in 2011. Continued uses around the site include residential and commercial areas.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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MATTHIESSEN AND HEGELER ZINC COMPANY
The 227-acre Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Company Superfund site is in La Salle, Illinois. From 1858 to 1978, a zinc smelting and rolling facility was on-site. Facility operations contaminated soil at the site. La Salle Rolling Mills continued operating until the firm’s bankruptcy in 2001. Investigations by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in the 1990s found contamination in slag piles remaining from smelting activities. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2003. The site’s potentially responsible parties removed contaminated waste piles, asbestos and storage tanks. In 2009, EPA demolished a contaminated building. EPA selected the site’s long-term remedy in 2017. It includes digging up soil, backfilling these areas with clean soil, putting soil covers and revetments in place, revegetating areas, and constructing a consolidation cell. It also includes putting property access restrictions and institutional controls in place and using other measures to manage surface water runoff and control soil erosion. In December 2021, the site was among those selected by EPA to receive cleanup funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). With this funding, EPA is already initiating work on backlogged remedial construction projects and accelerating cleanups at NPL sites. At the site, the funding facilitated sampling and cleanup at residential properties with elevated levels of contamination. Funding will also be used to address contamination on industrial areas of the site. In 2023, EPA updated the remedy to include short-term groundwater monitoring and institutional controls to restrict groundwater use. Carus Chemical Company’s chemical manufacturing facility remains active on-site. A metal service center and wholesaler, Continental Metals, is now also on-site. A residential area surrounds the facility. A river runs along the eastern edge of the site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 2 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 152 people and generated an estimated $72,197,604 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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NL INDUSTRIES/TARACORP LEAD SMELTER
The NL Industries/Taracorp Lead Smelter Superfund site is in Granite City, Illinois. A battery reclamation facility and secondary lead smelter operated on-site from the early 1900s to 1983. The site boundary includes the main facility area on 16 acres and surrounding areas affected by smelter stack emissions. Lead contamination affected three cities within a 100-square-block area, including about 1,600 homes. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. From 1993 to 2000, EPA funded the cleanup of over 700 properties. The site’s potentially responsible parties (PRPs) cleaned up another 800 homes and dozens of driveways, alleys and parking lots from 1998 to 2000. Taracorp, a PRP involved in the cleanup, still owns part of the site. A transport business and warehouse are on-site. An intermodal terminal is on part of the area affected by the site. Residential, commercial and industrial uses on-site are ongoing.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 3 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 83 people and generated an estimated $6,250,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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NORTH SHORE GAS (NSG) NORTH PLANT
The 16-acre North Shore Gas (NSG) North Plant Superfund site is in Waukegan, Illinois. From 1912 to 1953, NSG ran a manufactured gas plant (MGP) on-site. After shutting down the MGP, NSG used the facility to store and distribute fuel until 1965. Tar and other waste from the MPG contaminated soil and groundwater. EPA did not list the site on the National Priorities List (NPL). It is an NPL-caliber site. EPA is addressing it through the Superfund Alternative Approach. From 2013 to 2014, EPA oversaw a short-term remedy to remove and treat contaminated soil. In 2019 and 2020, NSG completed an investigation of contamination and groundwater monitoring. EPA is working on the site’s long-term cleanup plan. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing. The city of Waukegan runs a compost facility on-site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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NORTH SHORE GAS SOUTH PLANT
The 20-acre North Shore Gas South Plant site is in Waukegan, Illinois. The Waukegan Pipeline Service Company built the North Shore Gas South Plant in 1897. North Shore Gas purchased the plant in 1900. Groundwater samples collected from 2001 to 2003 contained volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, cyanide and metals. EPA did not add the site to the National Priorities List (NPL). It is an NPL-caliber site. EPA addresses contamination under the Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA). Potentially responsible party (PRP) actions address cleanup with federal and state oversight. PRPs are recovering tar from monitoring and recovery wells on-site and on the Waukegan Port District property. PRPs started running a dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) recovery system in 2020. The site does not affect public water supplies in the area; municipal water is sourced from Lake Michigan. Several businesses and organizations are active on-site. They include Port District administrative maintenance facilities, marina parking and storage, restaurants, and a specialty coatings manufacturer. In 2016, Waukegan Marina and Harbor approved a lease agreement for an indoor boat sales and storage facility on-site. Developer Bay Marine built the Chicago Yachting Center. The state-of-the-art facility opened in 2018 and includes heated indoor and outdoor storage, repair capacity, and yacht sales and brokerage services. Educational signs at the marina help the public learn about local fish ecology and migratory birds.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 4 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 228 people and generated an estimated $55,863,455 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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OTTAWA RADIATION AREAS
The Ottawa Radiation Areas Superfund site is in LaSalle County, Illinois. It consists of 16 areas across the city of Ottawa. The Radium Dial Company (from 1918 to 1936) and Luminous Processes, Inc. (from 1937 to 1978) made glow-in-the-dark dials for clocks and watches on-site using radium-based paint. Fill material in the Ottawa area consisted of building demolition material and soil polluted with radioactive waste from the plants. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1992. Cleanup involved removing contaminated soils and putting in radon reduction systems. Institutional controls also ensure the long-term protection of human health. In 2023, the site was added to those selected by EPA to receive cleanup funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). With this funding, EPA is already initiating work on backlogged remedial construction projects and accelerating cleanups at NPL sites. The funding will mostly be allocated towards the last of 16 contaminated areas, the landfill on NPL-8, where cleanup will include excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soils, excavation backfilling, and revegetation of the area. The Illinois Power sub-area is now a skate park. Residential and recreational reuses are on-site. Other site uses include Illinois Appellate Court facilities, a private school and a hardware store.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 5 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 24 people and generated an estimated $351,560 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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OTTAWA TOWNSHIP FLAT GLASS SITE
The 228-acre Ottawa Township Flat Glass Site is in Naplate, Illinois. It includes parcels north and south of the Illinois River. A glass-manufacturing facility opened on-site in 1908. Until 1970, operators used arsenic trioxide in the manufacturing process to reduce product discoloration. Waste from this practice came from the grinding and polishing of plate glass into a slurry material that went into silica quarries and other disposal areas on-site. The waste streams generated as part of facility operations contaminated soil, groundwater and Illinois River sediment. In 1999, Illinois EPA referred the site to EPA. An agreement between the responsible party and EPA in 2001 addressed the area using the Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA) rather than listing the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) for cleanup. Cleanup actions include removal of contaminated soil and slurry material from residential properties and disposal in an approved off-site landfill. Warning signs at the perimeter fence and along a designated stretch of the Illinois River help prevent recreation and trespassing exposures to contaminated river sediment. Some homes with contaminated wells connected to the public water supply. Stormwater drainage improvement modifications were made to the former wastewater quarries. Investigations for the site’s final groundwater remedy are ongoing. An active float-glass facility remains adjacent to the site. The site is also part of a larger area that is critical habitat for the Indiana bat.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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OUTBOARD MARINE CORP.
The 100-acre Outboard Marine Corp. Superfund site is on the western shore of Lake Michigan in Waukegan, Illinois. To manage investigations and cleanup, EPA divided the site into operable units (OUs). OU1 is an area of Waukegan Harbor. OU2 is the former location of a railroad tie treatment plant in the early 1900s. This area later became a manufactured gas and coke facility. Outboard Marine Corporation bought the OU2 property in the 1970s. It demolished the coke plant buildings. OU3 is a containment area for contaminated materials removed during a harbor cleanup from 1990 to 1993. OU4 is an abandoned facility. Outboard Marine Corporation made parts for outboard motors there from about 1949 until the company declared bankruptcy in 2000. This abandoned facility is the source of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and TCE in the harbor. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup included dredging contaminated sediments, removing contaminated soils and placing a cap over contaminated materials. It also included active groundwater treatment at OU2 from 2008 to 2012 and at OU4 starting in 2011. The site’s long-term cleanup and monitoring of groundwater and harbor fish is ongoing. Institutional controls limit fish consumption and use of the site and groundwater and protect the remedy from disturbance. Parts of the site remain in continued use. A recreational boat storage and repair business operates at the harbor. Other industrial support businesses are also in the harbor area. The Waukegan Port District runs a recreational and commercial marina at the harbor. It supports commercial and recreational fishing and boating access to Lake Michigan. Some beachfront areas of the site include ecologically important emergent dune-land environments. These areas provide critical habitat for the piping plover, a federally protected endangered species, and support several state-protected plant species. In 2015, EPA developed a reuse assessment for areas along the Waukegan lakefront, including the site, to support reuse planning. The city of Waukegan (the City) also finalized a master plan for the redevelopment of the lakefront area. The City bought the OU2 area, added clean fill and rezoned the property for high-density residential development, in accordance with the master plan. City plans call for parkland and mixed-use areas on the OU3 and OU4 parts of the site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. EPA did not have further economic details related to this business. For additional information click here.
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PARSONS CASKET HARDWARE CO.
The 6-acre Parsons Casket Hardware Co. Superfund site is in Belvidere, Illinois. From the early 1900s to 1982, the Parson’s Casket Hardware Company made decorative metal fittings for caskets at the site. Poor chemical storage practices and spills contaminated soil and groundwater. A plume of contaminated groundwater covers about 75 acres. In 1982, Illinois EPA found 120 drums of hazardous waste stored inside and outside the factory. Many were dented, corroded, leaking or uncovered. Above and underground tanks contained about 4,800 gallons of waste. An unlined lagoon contained about 166,500 gallons of liquid waste and 1,230 cubic yards of sludge. Illinois EPA began cleanup in 1985. After Illinois EPA removed the wastes, sampling indicated that groundwater remained contaminated with volatile chemicals, metals and cyanide. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1987. Soil cleanup finished in 2000. EPA is sampling and planning for the site’s groundwater cleanup. A neighborhood is located above part of the plume of contaminated groundwater.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 2 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 3 people and generated an estimated $226,960 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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PEOPLES GAS CRAWFORD STATION FORMER MGP
The Peoples Gas Crawford Station Former MGP site is in Chicago, Illinois. The manufactured gas plant (MGP) produced gas from coal, oil and other feedstocks. In 1921, the Koppers Company of Pittsburgh and Peoples Gas entered into an agreement. Koppers built, financed and operated a byproduct coke plant at the Crawford Station. Peoples Gas bought the gas and coke made by the Koppers Company for distribution to its consumers. In 1928, Peoples Gas acquired the facility. It was the largest Peoples Gas facility in the early 20th century. Gas production processes produced waste and byproducts such as tars, purifier waste, oils, sludges and acidic waste that contaminated soil and groundwater. The facility closed in 1965. Illinois EPA sampling found contamination in groundwater and soil samples. EPA did not list the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) but considers it an NPL-caliber site. EPA is addressing it through the Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA). Short-term cleanup actions and investigations are ongoing. After the investigations and review of cleanup alternatives, EPA will select a long-term cleanup plan. Current site uses include commercial and industrial storage and transportation services. A chemical research and technology company, an electric vehicle charging station, and a demolition contractor are also on-site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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PEOPLES GAS LIGHT & COKE - 22ND ST
The 8.9-acre Peoples Gas Light & Coke – 22nd St site is in Chicago, Illinois. A manufactured gas plant (MGP) produced gas from coal, oil and other feedstocks on-site starting in 1862. In 1944, it started producing reformed natural gas. Plant operations contaminated soil, sediment and groundwater. The plant stopped running in 1958. Dismantling of all former MGP facilities finished by 1960. In 1988, an Illinois EPA assessment recommended more investigation. EPA did not add the site to the National Priorities List (NPL). It is an NPL-caliber site. EPA addresses it through the Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA). From 2007 to 2009, the site’s potentially responsible party (PRP) led a time-critical removal action. It included removal and off-site disposal of contaminated soil and debris. Investigations are ongoing. Once they are complete and EPA reviews cleanup alternatives, EPA will select a long-term cleanup plan. An electrical substation is active on-site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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PEOPLES GAS LIGHT & COKE - DIVISION ST
The 17-acre Peoples Gas Light & Coke – Division St site is in Chicago, Illinois. A water gas production and storage facility opened on-site in 1883. The facility was the first manufactured gas plant (MGP) in Chicago built exclusively for water gas production. The MGP operations contaminated soil, groundwater, and river sediments. The MGP facility was dismantled in 1962. In 1963, the western property was developed into a repair, maintenance, warehouse, storage, and office facility that serviced the Chicago area until 2020. The EPA did not add the site to the National Priorities List (NPL), even though the site is an NPL-caliber site. Rather, EPA addresses the site via the Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA), which is as stringent. The initial cleanup took place in 2005, and included digging up contaminated areas, filling those areas with clean fill, and installing an engineered barrier to prevent further spread of contaminants. Peoples Gas led a voluntary cleanup from 2019 to 2021 to enable new business facilities on part of the site that it owns. All voluntary cleanup activities were completed in November 2021. Investigations are ongoing. After investigations finish and EPA reviews cleanup alternatives, EPA will select a long-term cleanup plan. Current site uses include commercial businesses, a restaurant, a community garden and a park.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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PEOPLES GAS LIGHT & COKE NORTH STA
The Peoples Gas Light & Coke North Station site is in Chicago, Illinois, in an area called the Near North Side. The Chicago Gas Light and Coke Company built a coal gas production facility on-site in 1868. In 1887, production converted to water gas. Facility operations contaminated groundwater, soil, and river sediments. The facility closed in the early 1960s and ComEd constructed an electrical substation from the mid to late 1960s EPA did not add the site to the National Priorities List (NPL), even though the site is an NPL-caliber site. EPA addresses the site via the Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA). Cleanup activities included digging up and removing foundations, a buried tank and piping, and contaminated soil. In 2017, EPA removed several of the parcels from the Superfund cleanup program. Investigations are ongoing. After investigations finish and EPA reviews cleanup alternatives, EPA will select a long-term cleanup plan. Other site uses include an electrical substation, right of way, and residential housing.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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PEOPLES GAS LIGHT & COKE WILLOW ST STATION
The 3.9-acre Peoples Gas Light & Coke Willow St Station site is located west of the intersection of Willow and North Kingsbury Streets in Chicago, Illinois. Manufactured Gas Plants (MGPs) were industrial facilities that produced gas from coal, oil, and other feedstocks. The processes that made the gas also produced waste and byproducts such as tars, purifier waste, oils, sludges and acidic waste. Disposal of wastes and spills often resulted in contaminated soil and groundwater. Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company (Integrys) led site investigations from 2002 to 2004. Cleanup activities removed a small area of soil impacted by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 2004. Other cleanup actions from 2004 to 2006 removed about 130,600 tons of contaminated material and took it off-site for disposal. Investigations are ongoing. EPA did not add the site to the National Priorities List (NPL), even though the site is an NPL-caliber site. EPA is addressing the site through the Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA). People’s Gas Light and Coke Company no longer own the property. EPA will select a long-term clean-up plan after investigations are completed and EPA reviews cleanup alternatives. Currently, the site is vacant. General Iron (GI) North Property, LLC owns the site. GI North used part of the site as a laydown area for steel until 2021. That parcel now includes a gravel-covered lot, a truck scale and a bioswale. The rest of the site, about 0.6 acres, remains vacant. Miscellaneous scrap metal and debris remain on the property.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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PEOPLES GAS SOUTH STATION FORMER MGP
The 7.9-acre Peoples Gas South Station Former MGP site is in Chicago, Illinois. Peoples Gas built the manufactured gas plant (MGP) and storage facility in 1874. In 1944, the plant started producing reformed natural gas. Its operations contaminated soil, sediment and groundwater. The plant shut down in 1961. Removal of MGP structures took place in the 1960s. EPA did not add the site to the National Priorities List (NPL). It is an NPL-caliber site. EPA addresses it through the Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA). The site is being addressed by potentially responsible party actions with federal and state oversight. Investigations have finished. After reviewing cleanup alternatives, EPA will select a long-term cleanup plan. The site consists of four parcels. A storage warehouse on two parcels has been demolished to make future cleanup actions possible. The other two parcels are owned by the city of Chicago. EPA removed these parcels from the Superfund program in 2011. The city developed a 3-acre city park, Park Co. 571, on the parcels. The park features a boathouse with rowing facilities, including a training room, community space, office, repair bay and storage for rowing equipment. Several organizations use the boathouse, including Recovery on Water (ROW). ROW provides breast cancer survivors with opportunities for exercise and social connection during recovery through participation in team rowing. A canoe and kayak rental service is also active on-site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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PEOPLES GAS THROOP STREET FORMER MGP
The 15.6-acre Peoples Gas Throop Street Former MGP site is in Chicago, Illinois. Consumers Gas Company built Throop Street Station in 1892 as a gas-holder facility in the Bridgeport neighborhood. Peoples Gas acquired it in 1897. A manufactured gas plant (MGP) storage and distribution facility was active on-site. In 1944, a mixing plant started mixing manufactured and natural gas on-site. Plant operations contaminated soil, sediment and groundwater. The station closed in 1972. All aboveground structures associated with the gas holder facility were demolished. EPA did not add the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) and designated it an NPL-caliber site. EPA addresses it through the Superfund Alternative Approach (SAA). Potentially responsible party actions address the site contamination, with federal and state oversight. Investigations are complete and EPA will select a long-term cleanup plan after reviewing cleanup alternatives. Brandenburg Industrial Service Company owns the property and uses it as a storage yard for equipment and debris. Office buildings, tractor trailers, cranes, construction material and debris associated with company operations are on-site.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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PETERSEN SAND & GRAVEL
The 120-acre Petersen Sand & Gravel Superfund site is north of Libertyville, Illinois. Raymond Petersen purchased the land in 1952 to mine sand and gravel. The company dumped non-hazardous wastes, solvents and paint wastes in buried drums on site from 1955 to 1958 in a 120-acre area of a quarry. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency inspected the site in 1971 and ordered it closed because of illegal dumping. Site activities resulted in the contamination of soil, sediment, surface water and groundwater with volatile chemicals and metals. In 1977 and 1983, the site owner worked to remove the contamination. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. Illinois EPA investigations found that the owner’s cleanup was sufficient. EPA took the site off the NPL in 1991. In 2001, Independence Grove Forest Preserve created a 115-acre lake and established an education center, amphitheater and gift shop on-site. Outdoor enthusiasts now walk, bike and cross-country ski on over 7 miles of trails at the Independence Grove Forest Preserve. Visitors can enjoy boating and catch-and-release fishing on the lake. The preserve also includes a play area and a sand volleyball court and hosts a seasonal beer garden and concert series.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. EPA did not have further economic details related to this business. For additional information click here.
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SAUGET AREA 1
The Sauget Area 1 site is in the villages of Sauget and Cahokia Heights, Illinois. It consists of 12 former waste disposal areas. These areas include about 3.5 miles of Dead Creek, three closed landfills, a backfilled impoundment area, an inactive borrow pit and a closed construction debris disposal area. Waste disposal began before the 1920s. It continued into the 1970s. To manage the cleanup, EPA divided the site into two areas, or operable units (OUs). OU-1 addresses source contamination in soil, sediments, and surface water. OU-2’s final remedy will address groundwater contamination at the Sauget Area 1 and Sauget Area 2 sites. Potentially responsible parties are cleaning up the site with supervision from EPA and the State. Some parts of the site are in continued industrial use.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. EPA did not have further economic details related to this business. For additional information click here.
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SAUGET AREA 2
The 312-acre Sauget Area 2 site is in Sauget, Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis, Illinois. It consists of four former landfills and four backfilled waste treatment and disposal lagoons. The site is on the banks of the Mississippi River, across from St. Louis. Waste disposal and treatment at various times from the 1950s to 1980s contaminated soil and groundwater with volatile compounds, pesticides and metals. In 1975, Monsanto covered a landfill with clay. An initial assessment finished in 1983. In 1985, Monsanto stabilized the bank of the Mississippi River near the landfill. In 1994, 1995 and 2000, EPA removed drums and soil from a landfill. EPA proposed listing the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2001. From 2002 to 2009, potentially responsible parties built a barrier wall to contain contaminated groundwater and prevent the groundwater from reaching the Mississippi River. Groundwater is pumped from the site and then treated at the American Bottoms Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility before its discharge to the river. In 2021, EPA capped a landfill. EPA’s cleanup plan includes capping contaminated soil and waste, pumping oily liquids from site soil, and cleaning groundwater. In 2025, final cleanup actions will start. Continued industrial and commercial uses on-site include a shipbuilder, a storage facility and a club.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 7 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 58 people and generated an estimated $68,063,770 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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SOUTHEAST ROCKFORD GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION
The Southeast Rockford Ground Water Contamination Superfund site covers about 7.5 square miles in Rockford, Illinois, next to the Rock River. There are several contaminated groundwater plumes in this area. Investigations by Illinois EPA from 1981 to 1988 found volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination in private and municipal wells. The contaminants came from storage tanks and improper disposal practices at local industries. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. To manage investigations and cleanup, EPA divided the site into three areas, or operable units (OUs). From 1989 to 1991, EPA and the city of Rockford addressed the drinking water contamination at OU-1 by temporarily providing bottled water to homes, connecting 547 properties to the public water supply and installing granulated activated carbon filtration on a municipal well. At OU-2, EPA connected 277 more properties to the public water supply. Long-term groundwater monitoring is ongoing. Overall, 824 homes connected to the city of Rockford's municipal water system. EPA identified four source areas as the main contributors to the groundwater VOC plumes. These areas are OU-3. These source areas use active treatment remediation to address the source materials. In 2020, the cleanup requirements in Source Area 4 were met, resulting in a partial site deletion from the NPL. The area is available for unrestricted use and unlimited exposure. In December 2021, Source Area 7 was among those areas selected by EPA to receive cleanup funding for continuing groundwater treatment under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Both Source Area 7 and Source Area 9/10 have decreasing VOC concentrations in groundwater. In 2024, a pilot study is planned for Source Area 11 to select a remedy that will address source contamination. EPA also studied the nearby Rock River in 2018 to see if wildlife is harmed by the discharge of contaminated groundwater into the river. Studies found no impacts on wildlife were expected. Vapor Intrusion studies took place across the site in 2014 and 2017. They found no exposures due to incomplete vapor intrusion pathways. Current site uses include residential areas and a variety of businesses. They include an auto-parts store, a car stereo store, a storage facility, an engineering company for aerospace and defense industries, a lab equipment supplier, a military base, and a steel sheet and plate product manufacturer.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on 9 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 159 people and generated an estimated $37,886,720 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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TRI-COUNTY LANDFILL CO./WASTE MANAGEMENT OF ILLINOIS, INC.
The 66-acre Tri-County Landfill Co./Waste Management of Illinois, Inc. Superfund site is in Elgin, Kane County, Illinois. Two landfills received commercial and industrial waste on-site from the 1960s to 1976. The landfills accepted municipal, commercial and industrial wastes. Landfill operations contaminated groundwater, surface water, sediment in a nearby wetland, and surface soil at the landfills. The landfills were closed under court order in 1981. Investigations took place from 1983 to 1992. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. Cleanup from 1999 to 2001 included digging up and capping contaminated soils, collecting and treating landfill gas, monitoring and treating contaminated groundwater, and restricting land and groundwater use. Due to low levels of contamination in groundwater, EPA deferred active treatment in 1996 to see if landfill gas removal and the cap stopped further contamination of groundwater. Active treatment could be required in the future if groundwater contamination increases. Institutional controls limit site and groundwater use and protect the remedy from disturbance. Groundwater monitoring and operation and maintenance activities are ongoing. Part of the site is in use for vehicle storage.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 10 people and generated an estimated $1,020,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.
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WOODSTOCK MUNICIPAL LANDFILL
The 50-acre Woodstock Municipal Landfill Superfund site is in Woodstock, Illinois. From 1935 to 1958, a local dump and open burning area were on-site. The city of Woodstock acquired the property in 1958. From 1958 to 1975, the city disposed of municipal and industrial wastes at the site. These activities resulted in contamination of groundwater, surface water and surrounding wetlands. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. Cleanup included wetlands restoration and landfill capping. After cleanup, the community pursued recreational reuse plans. A sports complex, which includes six soccer fields and a parking lot, opened in 2007. Wetlands restoration, maintenance and monitoring activities are ongoing.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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YEOMAN CREEK LANDFILL
The 70-acre Yeoman Creek Landfill Superfund site is in Waukegan, Illinois. From 1958 to 1969, three unlined landfills accepted municipal and industrial wastes. These activities resulted in the contamination of soil, sediment and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. It includes areas known as the East and West Yeoman Creek Landfills, the Edwards Field Landfill and the Rubloff Landfill. Cleanup activities included putting in a landfill cover and a landfill gas collection system, removing contaminated sediment, monitoring groundwater, sediment and air, and placing contaminated soil and sediment under the landfill cover. The basement of a nearby nursing home was sealed to prevent vapor intrusion. Six methane detectors were placed inside the basement. Institutional controls limit site uses and access. The Waukegan School District, the Waukegan Park District and several private parties own parts of the site. These areas are not in use. A nursing home remains active next to the site. Ecological uses on-site include Yeoman Creek, wetlands and a nature preserve. In September 2012, EPA funded a renewable energy study to evaluate the area’s suitability for solar electricity generation. The Waukegan School District is pursuing solar generation at the site and selected a solar energy developer to work with on the project. Scheduled for completion in 2027, the $10 million project will feature 20,000 solar panels that will provide power to 1,000 households. Other areas on-site may be used for more parking.
Last updated September 2024
As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.
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