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.
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.
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.
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.
After a history of environmental violations at the Western Lion and Service Disposal #1 Landfill sites, the Illinois EPA learned in May 1994 that the owner/operator of the site had begun excavating a trench in an area of buried waste without a permit. A temporary order from the Attorney General's Office required all operations to stop by January 20, 1996. During an inspection by Illinois EPA in June 1997, field personnel discovered that the open trench had filled with 35-40 feet of leachate (rainwater that has traveled through the landfill and contacted waste). This leachate pit occasionally overtopped its banks and flowed into the nearby Riley Creek, which is a Class "A" Stream.
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.
Through Illinois EPA's investigation and evaluation of abandoned landfills in the state, we discovered that the Ocoya Landfill site has severe erosion problems, exposed waste, low spots that allow water to pond, and leachate seeps (water that becomes contaminated after contact with landfill waste). The printable map referenced in the fact sheet will be included in a separate pdf attachment.
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.
Based on the human health threat from exposure posed by the dilapidated, asbestos-containing school located at 708 North Broadway in Newman, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) will abate the asbestos where safe to do so and remove the building using State funds. Due to the condition of this former school, it is highly likely that asbestos fibers are being released to the environment and coming in contact with trespassers. Health concerns for human exposure warrants corrective action at this location.