Superfund Sites in Reuse in Illinois
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Asarco Taylor Springs
The ASARCO Taylor Springs Superfund site is located in Taylor Springs, Illinois. Beginning in 1911, zinc oxide production and a metals plant operated on the 673-acre site. Operators of the zinc oxide plant stored a significant amount of slag from mining and processing zinc in waste piles on 12 acres of the site. Storage of waste materials resulted in contamination of surface water and soil at the site. This contamination extended onto adjacent residential properties. EPA added the site to the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 2006. In 2007, under EPA oversight, the site’s potentially responsible parties (PRPs) removed contaminated soil from 36 residential properties. The PRPs completed cleanup and restoration of the residential properties in 2008. Currently, the site is not in use. Surveying and sampling of soil, sediment, surface water, groundwater, air and wildlife at the site and nearby residential properties is ongoing.
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Beloit Corp.
The 175-acre Beloit Corp. Superfund site is located in the Village of Rockton, Illinois. From 1957 until 1999, industrial operators manufactured machines that produced layered paper products from paper pulp on site. Manufacturing activities on the site resulted in contamination of area soil and groundwater. EPA placed the site on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. EPA installed a groundwater pump-and-treatment system and implemented land use controls to prohibit the installation of potable water wells on the site. The Illinois Department of Environmental Protection has operated the treatment system since 2002. A lubricant manufacturer relocated some of its distribution and field support operations to the site in 2008 and has significantly upgraded the facility.
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Celotex Corporation
The Celotex Corporation site is located in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. For decades, manufacturing facilities made asphalt roofing materials on site. These operations contaminated the property as well as nearby residential yards. After investigations led by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Celotex Corporation removed on-site buildings and later placed gravel across 22 of the site’s 24 acres to help address flooding and off-site contamination. Cleanup of residential yards followed. As cleanup progressed, neighborhood residents and the City of Chicago began to consider reuse possibilities for the site. With few parks in the community, the site offered a valuable opportunity for new recreation facilities. After working with EPA to make sure potential recreational uses would remain protective of the site’s remedy, the Chicago Park District acquired most of the site property and worked with the community to plan for the future. As a result, La Villita Park opened to the community in December 2014. The park includes a recreational facility containing two artificial turf athletic fields with lighting; three natural grass athletic fields; a skate park; basketball courts; community gardens; passive landscape areas; a large playground with a water spray feature; a picnic pavilion; comfort stations that include concessions; a multi-use trail with fitness stations; and environmentally-friendly utilities.
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Circle Smelting Corp.
The Circle Smelting Corp. site is located in Beckemeyer, Illinois. A zinc refinery operated on site from 1904 until 1994. Site operators discarded residual metals, coal cinders and slag from the smelting process in piles on the 28-acre property. These disposal practices resulted in elevated concentrations of lead, zinc, cadmium, nickel and copper in the soil. In 1996, EPA proposed the site to the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL). The potentially responsible party (PRP) investigated the nature and extent of the hazardous substances from the former smelter operations and removed site contaminants to EPA's standards. Cleanup activities began in 1998 and are still underway on portions of the site. A local trucking company purchased a clean portion of the property and paved it for use as a parking lot. A Prospective Purchaser Agreement (PPA), signed in 1999, between the trucking company and EPA made the sale of that portion of the site possible. The PPA limits the company's liability in exchange for sharing the costs of cleanup.
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Depue/New Jersey Zinc/Mobil Chemical Corp.
The DePue/New Jersey Zinc/Mobil Chemical Corp. Superfund site is located in the Village of DePue in Bureau County, Illinois. The site spans 950 acres and includes Lake DePue. The site also borders the DePue-Donnelly Wildlife Management Area. Starting in 1903, New Jersey Zinc operated zinc smelting facilities on a stretch of former farmland. Due to a growing demand for fertilizers, New Jersey Zinc constructed additional facilities in 1967 to produce phosphate-based fertilizers. The Mobil Chemical Corporation began leasing the phosphate fertilizer plants in 1972. The corporation purchased the plants in 1975. The Illinois Department of Environmental Protection (Illinois EPA) regularly inspected the site throughout the 1980s and found heavily contaminated surface water and groundwater. When contamination exceeded federal water and air quality standards, EPA began conducting site inspections. The current potentially responsible parties agreed to investigate the site and take measures to control releases. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1999. From 1995 to 2000, the potentially responsible parties constructed a water treatment plant. The treatment plant receives contaminated groundwater from the site, remove metals from the water and discharges cleaned water to the Illinois River. The parties also removed heavily contaminated sediments from a drainage ditch and fenced off the former facilities. Illinois EPA and the companies continue working to clean up affected residential properties around the former smelting plant and Lake DePue. The Village of DePue is primarily residential, but also includes commercial and public use establishments. These include a school, post office, general stores, gas station and a bank. The Village used a Superfund Redevelopment Initiative Pilot Grant to finalize a reuse plan for the site in 2004. The reuse plan later influenced the 2014 DePue Comprehensive Plan adopted by the North Central Illinois Council of Governments. Today, the Village hosts the National Power Boat Racing Association national races, which occur annually in late July at Lake DePue.
For more information:
- DePue/New Jersey Zinc/Mobil Chemical, DePue, IL - Reuse Plan (PDF) (35 pp, 1.4 MB, About PDF)
- Superfund Site Profile Page
DuPage County Landfill/Blackwell Forest Preserve
The 40-acre DuPage County Landfill/Blackwell Forest Preserve Superfund site is located within the 1,200-acre Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville, Illinois. The county established the landfill with the goal of creating a hill to serve as a recreational amenity. The landfill accepted waste between 1965 and 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 at the site. As a result, EPA placed the site on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. EPA’s cleanup repaired the landfill cap, installed an extraction system, treated and disposed of the landfill leachate, and installed additional landfill gas vents. EPA continues to conduct long-term monitoring of the natural breakdown of groundwater contamination. Use controls restrict land and groundwater use at the site. The close cooperation between EPA, Illinois EPA and the PRP enabled the Forest Preserve to address potential risks efficiently while maintaining public access to recreation and conservation activities. The site functions as a recreation area, featuring restored native prairie vegetation, picnic areas, trails, an observation area and a snow tubing run on Mt. Hoy. Other recreational and educational activities, including two lakes used for fishing, an archery range and urban stream research facility are located adjacent to the site within the larger Blackwell Forest Preserve.
For more information:
- Redevelopment of the DuPage County Landfill/Blackwell Forest Preserve Superfund Site (PDF)(1 pg, 598 K, About PDF)
- Video: DuPage County Landfill/Blackwell Forest Preserve: A Superfund Site Reuse Success Story Exit
- Superfund Site Profile Page
Galesburg/Koppers Co.
The 105-acre Galesburg/Koppers Company Superfund site is located in Galesburg, Illinois. Since 1907, operators at the active-wood treating facility have treated railroad ties with heat, pressure, creosote, and coal tar. Past waste practices led to contamination of soil and groundwater in and around the site. EPA added the site to the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. Cleanup activities included treatment of contaminated soil and groundwater. Wood treatment operations continue on site.
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H.O.D. Landfill
H.O.D. LandfillThe 121-acre H.O.D. Landfill Superfund site in Antioch, Illinois, includes a former landfill area and 70-acres of undeveloped land that served as a buffer for the landfill. From 1963 to 1984, the landfill accepted municipal and industrial wastes. In 1984, Waste Management closed the landfill at the site and placed a clay cap over the landfill. Landfill operations resulted in groundwater contamination, and in 1990, EPA placed the site on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL). The site’s cleanup included repairs to the landfill cap and upgrades to the landfill’s gas and leachate extraction system. The site’s potentially responsible parties (PRPs) also began monitoring groundwater at the site and implemented land use restrictions on the site property. Initial site reuse discussions began in the community in 1998. The PRPs completed cleanup in 2001. EPA began working with the community in 2002 to assess the reuse potential of the site and create a reuse plan. EPA issued a Ready for Recreational Reuse Determination for the site in 2003. Due to rapid population growth in the community and the site’s location next to the Antioch Community High School, local officials favored recreational reuse for the site, including sports fields for high school and community sports league use. The school district also expressed interest in using methane gas produced by the landfill. Following the construction of a methane co-generation plant, methane gas extracted from the capped landfill supplied heat and electricity to the school from 2003 through 2013. Redevelopment of the site includes 30 acres of soccer, field hockey and softball facilities completed in 2008. Area schools also use the on-site wetlands area as an environmental education resource. The U.S. Soccer Foundation donated equipment for the new soccer fields, and Waste Management donated the methane that supplies heat and electricity to Antioch Community High School.
For more information:
- H.O.D. Landfill Ready for Reuse Determination (2003) (PDF) (82 pp, 1.5 MB, About PDF)
- Energizing a New Future: Alternative Energy and Recreational Reuse at the H.O.D. Landfill Superfund Site in Northern Illinois (PDF) (16 pp, 1.2 MB)
- Superfund Site Profile Page
Ilada Energy Co.
The 17-acre Ilada Energy Co. Superfund site is located 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 operated the tank farm until 1981 when Ilada Energy Company took over operations. The firm constructed additional tanks and structures at the site and operated a waste oil reclamation facility. In the 1980s, site investigations identified 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 placed the site on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. The site’s potentially responsible parties (PRPs) conducted cleanup activities, including the removal of all tanks and their contents, piping, structures, debris and contaminated soil. The PRPs completed the removal activities in 1991. In 2001, EPA deleted the site from the NPL. The current site owner purchased the site in 2006 and uses the site for recreational activities. The U.S. Forest Service also maintains a portion of the forest located on site.
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Joliet Army Ammunition Plant (Load-Assembly-Packing Area)
The 22-square-mile Joliet Army Ammunition Plant (Load-Assembly-Packing area) (JOAAP LAP area) site is part of the JOAAP NPL facility. From the early 1940s through 1977, loading, assembling and packaging of high explosive artillery shells, bombs, mines and small arms ammunition took place at the site. Other activities included testing of ammunition, washout and renovation of shells, and burning and demolition of explosives. These activities resulted in soil and ground water contamination. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. The Illinois Land Conservation Act of 1995 allowed the U.S. Army to transfer portions of the site to various federal, local and state parties. In 1997, the U.S. Army completed the first transfer of 15,089 acres of the site that did not require cleanup to the U.S. Forest Service. The U.S. Forest Service used the land to create the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie provides recreational, educational and agricultural opportunities for the local community and has also created habitat for native wildlife populations. In 2005, the Army transferred an additional 2,600 acres for incorporation into the prairie. In 2000, the U.S. Army transferred 1,300 acres of the site to the State of Illinois for development of an industrial park. In the same year, CenterPoint Properties began construction of an industrial park and intermodal rail facility. The U.S. Army transferred an additional 218 acres of cleaned up site property to CenterPoint Properties in 2001 for the industrial park. The intermodal rail facility opened in 2002 and the U.S. Army transferred an additional 13 acres in 2003. The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 Apprenticeship & Skill Improvement Training Center opened at the industrial park in 2007. The U.S. Army also transferred 982 acres of the site to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for development of the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. The VA dedicated the cemetery in 1999. In 2002, the U.S. Army transferred 455 acres to Will County for use as a municipal landfill. The landfill opened in 2004. The U.S. Army completed cleanup activities at the site in 2008. Long-term ground water monitoring is ongoing.
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Joliet Army Ammunition Plant (Manufacturing Area)
The 14-square-mile Joliet Army Ammunition Plant (Manufacturing Area) (JOAAP MFG area) site is part of the JOAAP NPL facility. From the early 1940s through 1977, manufacturing of chemicals for munitions, propellants and explosives took place at the site. The production facilities occupied the northern portion of the site and storage facilities for explosives occupied the southern portion of the site. Chemical storage and manufacturing resulted in the contamination of soil and ground water at the site. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. The Illinois Land Conservation Act of 1995 allowed the U.S. Army to transfer portions of the site to various federal, local and state parties. In 1997, the U.S. Army completed the first transfer of 15,089 acres of the site that did not require cleanup to the U.S. Forest Service. The U.S. Forest Service used the land to create the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie provides recreational, educational and agricultural opportunities for the local community and has also created habitat for native wildlife populations. In 2005, the U.S. Army transferred an additional 2,600 acres for incorporation into the prairie. In 2000, the U.S. Army transferred 1,300 acres of the site to the State of Illinois for development of an industrial park. In the same year, CenterPoint Properties began construction of an industrial park and intermodal rail facility. The U.S. Army transferred an additional 218 acres of cleaned up site property to CenterPoint Properties in 2001 for the industrial park. The intermodal rail facility opened in 2002 and the U.S. Army transferred an additional 13 acres in 2003. The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 Apprenticeship & Skill Improvement Training Center opened at the industrial park in 2007. The U.S. Army also transferred 982 acres of the site to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for development of the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. The VA dedicated the cemetery in 1999. In 2002, the U.S. Army transferred 455 acres to Will County for use as a municipal landfill. The landfill opened in 2004. The U.S. Army completed cleanup activities at the site in 2008. Long-term ground water monitoring is ongoing.
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Kerr-McGee (Reed-Keppler Park)
Kerr-McGee (Reed Keppler Park)The Kerr-McGee (Reed-Keppler Park) Superfund site is one of four sites associated with radioactive waste contamination in West Chicago, Illinois. The site spans 11 acres of a larger 90-acre area. Portions of the 11-acre site operated as a sand and gravel quarry in the late 1800s. The City of West Chicago purchased the area from the local railroad company in the early 1930s and used it as a community park with a small swimming pool, constructed in the 1950s. The area also operated as a small municipal landfill, which received waste as fill material for the quarry, from the 1930s until 1974. The landfill accepted waste materials, including radioactive tailings from the nearby Rare Earths Facility. Site operators used the waste materials to cover the landfill and provide fill in the surrounding park. While fencing surrounded the landfill area in the 1970s, investigations at the park in the 1980s found small areas of contamination scattered across the site. EPA placed the site on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. In 1993, site investigations identified additional soil and groundwater contamination. Prior to cleanup activities, the local community had expressed interest in redeveloping the property as an aquatics center. EPA worked with the local park district to perform a more focused investigation in the proposed development area. EPA, the Park District and site stakeholders identified potential areas of contamination and modified building plans for the aquatic center to meet site cleanup needs. Construction began in 1993, and the Prairie Oaks Family Aquatic Center opened on a portion of the site in 1995. Cleanup activities at the site between 1997 and 2000 removed all contaminated soil. In 2010, EPA deleted the site from the NPL. The site can accommodate unrestricted use. The redeveloped Reed-Keppler Park now features various sports fields, a skateboard park, two playgrounds, a concession stand and 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. Collaboration between EPA and stakeholders has resulted in the successful remediation and reuse of this site, which provides valuable recreational opportunities for the community.
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Kerr-McGee (Residential Areas)
The Kerr-McGee (Residential Areas) Superfund site is located in West Chicago, Illinois. From 1932 until 1973, operations at the Rare Earths Facility, located nearby, contaminated the site with radioactive waste. Kerr-McGee purchased the Rare Earths Facility in 1967 and maintained operations until 1973. The Rare Earths Facility 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 recognized, residents and contractors used the waste as free fill material. Wind may have also spread the waste. Many properties in the West Chicago area have soil contaminated with radioactive materials from windblown contamination and the use of the waste as fill material. EPA added the site to the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. Cleanup activities included soil sampling and soil cleanup at hundreds of properties. Residential use continues on the site.
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Kerr-McGee (Sewage Treatment Plant)
The Kerr-McGee (Sewage Treatment Plant) Superfund site is located in West Chicago, Illinois. The site includes the 25-acre West Chicago Sewage Treatment Plant and about 1.2 miles of river sediments, banks and floodplain soils. The City of West Chicago built the West Chicago Sewage Treatment Plant in 1919. Site operators at the Rare Earths Facility (later Kerr-McGee) hauled the facility’s radioactive waste materials to the treatment plant, causing contamination of the plant. During 1986 and 1987, Kerr-McGee conducted voluntary cleanup activities to allow the City to expand the treatment plant, but further investigations found additional radioactive waste contamination. EPA placed the site on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. Cleanup for the river portion of the site included ecological restoration to restore the character and function of habitats impacted by cleanup activities. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County owns the majority of land along the river portion of the site. EPA worked with the Forest Preserve District to share technical expertise and guidance related to achieving restoration goals. The Forest Preserve also helped fund restoration activities at the site. Land use along the river portion of the site includes primarily recreational uses. The ecological health and recreational use of the river has greatly increased as a result of cleanup and restoration activities.
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Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Company
The 160-acre Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Company Superfund site is located in La Salle, Illinois. From 1858 until 1978, the site primarily housed a zinc smelting and rolling facility. La Salle Rolling Mills continued operations on the site until the firm’s bankruptcy in 2001. Site investigations identified contamination in slag piles remaining on site from smelting activities. Investigations also identified contamination in sediment and surface water of the Vermilion River. EPA placed the site on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 2003. The site’s potentially responsible parties (PRPs) removed contaminated waste piles, asbestos and storage tanks from the site. In 2009, EPA demolished a contaminated building on site. The Carus Chemical Company, the remaining active business on site, continues chemical manufacturing on a portion of the site. The firm employs about 100 people. Carus Chemical Company is performing additional studies on a portion of the site. EPA is completing studies on the remainder of the site.
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NL Industries/Taracorp Lead Smelter
A battery reclamation facility and secondary lead smelter formerly operated at the NL Industries/Taracorp Lead Smelter Superfund site in Granite City, Illinois. NL Industries operated at the site from the turn of the century until 1983. The site’s main facility area includes 16 acres and areas affected by smelter stack emissions. Lead contamination moved throughout 100 square blocks in three cities. The contamination affected about 1,600 residences, including areas where contaminated battery chips were used to fill in low-lying areas. EPA placed the site on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. From 1993 until 2000, EPA funded the cleanup of over 700 properties. The site’s potentially responsible parties (PRPs) cleaned up an additional 800 residences and dozens of driveways, alleys and parking lots from 1998 until 2000. Taracorp still owns a portion of the site property. BV&G Transport and State Street Warehouse (formerly Rich Oil and Trust 454) continue to occupy the main facility and the former smelter property. An intermodal terminal occupies a portion of the area affected by the site in Venice, Illinois. Residential use continues on portions of the site.
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Ottawa Radiation Areas
The Ottawa Radiation Areas Superfund site is located in LaSalle County, Illinois. The site consists of 16 areas scattered throughout the city of Ottawa. 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 site building demolition material and soil polluted with radioactive waste from the plants. EPA added the site to the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1992. Cleanup involved removing contaminated soils and installing radon reduction systems. Institutional controls are also in place to ensure long-term protection. Private owners use the Frontage Property, a portion of the site, for commercial purposes. The Illinois Power Building sub-area, another portion of the site, currently contains a commercial building leased to a law office. The City of Ottawa uses the Luminous Processes, Inc. Adjacent sub-area, another portion of the site, as a gravel parking lot.
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Petersen Sand & Gravel
Petersen Sand & GravelThe 120-acre Petersen Sand & Gravel Superfund site is located 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 on site between 1955 and 1958. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) inspected the site in 1971 and ordered it closed because of illegal dumping. Site activities resulted in the contamination of area soil, sediment and groundwater. In 1977 and 1983, the site owner worked to remove contamination from the site. EPA placed the site on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. IEPA conducted investigations at the site and determined that the cleanup conducted by the site owner was sufficient. Following IEPA’s investigations, EPA deleted the site from the NPL in 1991. In 2002, Independence Grove Forest Preserve created a 115-acre lake and established an education center, amphitheater and gift shop for summer vacationers. Outdoor enthusiasts now boat and swim in the newly created lake and along the beaches at the Independence Grove Forest Preserve.
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Woodstock Municipal Landfill
The 50-acre Woodstock Municipal Landfill Superfund site is located in Woodstock, Illinois. From 1935 to 1958, The site served as a local dump and open burning area from 1935 to 1958 when the City of Woodstock acquired the site. From 1958 until 1975, the City used the site to dispose of municipal and industrial wastes. Site activities resulted in contamination of groundwater, surface water and surrounding wetland areas. EPA added the site to the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989. Cleanup activities included removing and restoring contaminated wetlands as well as installing a landfill cap. Monitoring followed the naturally degrading contamination in groundwater. After completing cleanup activities, the local community developed a recreational reuse plan for the site. A sports complex, which includes six new soccer fields and a parking lot, opened on a portion of the site in 2007. The complex provides much-needed recreational opportunities for the entire Woodstock community.
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