Smith Douglass Site South Streator, Illinois

For many years, this 124-acre site has been the location of fertilizer manufacturing which used naturally-occurring phosphates found in gypsum. The process used acid to free the phosphates to use in fertilizer production, and it resulted in a 25-40 acre pile/stack of acidic gypsum waste. The gypsum waste was piled into a strip mine pond and rises more than 60 feet above the pond surface. In 1989, Illinois EPA spent $500,000 to perform an immediate removal of hazardous waste at the site. The Agency is now faced with emergency cleanup and stabilization work. One of the previous owners has agreed to assist with the most immediate problem to safeguard surrounding residents and the environment. The printable map referenced in the fact sheet will be included in a separate pdf attachment.