The Electronic Documents of Illinois provides permanent public access to official publications of the State of Illinois which have been deposited in electronic form.
The Illinois EPA performed off-site residential area environmental investigations in the fall of 2001 and did not find levels of residual chemical contamination that could be expected to pose health threats to nearby residential communities from past refinery catalyst releases to the air. The printable map referenced in the fact sheet will be included as a separate pdf attachment.
The imminent threat from the former Milton School is the potential for asbestos exposure and the physical hazards to trespassers and nearby residents. Currently collapsed floors, roofs and walls make it impossible to secure or abate this building; therefore removal is the only option for eliminating the threat.
Matthiessen and Hegeler is an inactive zinc rolling mill and smelter that operated from 1858 to 1978. The 160 acre property is located on the west side of the Little Vermilion River in LaSalle, Illinois. In December 1993, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) collected soil and sediment samples from the site and from surrounding properties. These samples included three sediment samples from the Little Vermilion River, seven soil samples from the site property, 13 off-site soil samples, and two background samples 1 1/2 miles north of the site. The sample results will be used to make a preliminary evaluation of possible environmental impacts from past Matthiessen and Hegeler operations.
Many of the plant operations took place prior to most environmental regulations so a potential existed for releases to air, water, and land. Preliminary Illinois EPA sampling, conducted in 1992 and 1993, indicated the presence of metals in onsite and offsite soil (including residential yards), surface water, and sediments. These metals include arsenic, barium, cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, silver, sodium, and zinc. These metals occur naturally in the environment, but the samples from DePue indicate elevated levels when compared to samples collected from a nearby community. The larger map referenced in the fact sheet will be included as a separate pdf attachment.
In March and April of 2002, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) conducted a site investigation in the area of the former St. Louis Smelting and Refining Company lead smelter. Many factors, including the past operations at the site, influenced the Illinois EPAs decision to conduct this expanded site investigation.
Representatives from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) will be conducting an environmental investigation in Rosiclare, Illinois, during March 2001. During that week, field-based technologies will be used to screen soil and/or sediments for potential contamination in the area.
An uncontrolled waste pile made up of cinders and slag covers approximately five acres of the facility. The cinder/slag contains elevated levels of lead, zinc and other metals. Contaminants have migrated from the site to a drainage ditch and adjacent pond and wetlands. Antimony, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel and zinc were detected in the wetlands in excess of U.S.EPAs regional sediment screening values. Antimony, arsenic, lead and zinc have been found in residential yards in excess of U.S.EPAs regional screening levels.
In June 2009, Illinois EPA mailed public notices to all Sauk Village Water Supply users regarding vinyl chloride contamination in groundwater that is affecting the community water supply. In the water drawn from Well Number 3, the concentration of vinyl chloride in 2009 [at 3.49 micrograms per liter (ug/L)] violated the federal maximum contaminant level of 2 ug/L allowed for a public water supply. Well Number 3 was taken out of service in 2009 and has not been part of the system since then because of the vinyl chloride contamination.