Assistance for Local Communities

The Illinois EPA’s Federal Site Remediation Section (FSRS) works in close partnership with communities impacted by federal hazardous waste sites. We understand that cleanup efforts can raise questions, concerns, and the need for ongoing dialogue. A wide range of resources and tools are available to help communities stay informed and actively engaged throughout the Superfund cleanup process.

Community Involvement and Advisory Groups

FSRS supports meaningful public participation and works alongside groups that help represent local interests:

• Community Involvement and Public Participation
  U.S. EPA’s central hub for community involvement tools, guidance, and best practices. For more information on how to contact the EPA for community involvement, see our current contact at CONTACT US.

• Community Advisory Groups (CAGs)
  A CAG serves as a public forum for community members to discuss site cleanup activities with regulators, developers, and technical experts. This provides the community a voice in the Superfund process. They’re especially helpful at complex or high-impact Superfund sites. Examples of CAGs include:
  • Waukegan Harbor Community Advisory Group (Welcome - Waukegan Harbor Citizens' Advisory Group (Waukegan Harbor CAG))
    • North Shore Gas MGP-North Plant
    • North Shore Gas MGP-South Plant
    • Outboard Marine Corp
    • Johns-Manville Corp
    • Yeoman Creek
  • New Jersey Zinc CAG, DePue, IL
  • For more information: Superfund Community Advisory Groups | US EPA

• Restoration Advisory Boards (RABs)
  RABs offer a similar service as CAGs at Department of Defense (DoD) sites, giving local residents and stakeholders a voice in military site cleanups. Further information can be found here:
  • Air Force: AFCEC Environmental Restoration Technical Support Branch
  • Army: U.S. Army Environmental Command > Cleanup > Restoration Advisory Boards
  • Navy: Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC): Environmental
  • US Army Corps of Engineers: Restoration Advisory Board

Technical Assistance and Tools

Federal resources are available to help communities better understand and participate in technical aspects of site cleanup:

• Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC)
  Provides independent technical advisors to help community members interpret site data and proposed remedies. Provides independent technical advisors to help community members interpret site data and proposed remedies. Superfund Technical Assistance for Communities | US EP
• Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) Program
  Offers funding to community groups near Superfund sites so they can hire independent experts. Offers funding to community groups near Superfund sites so they can hire independent experts. Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) Program | US EPA
• Superfund Community Tools
  Online tools to track cleanup progress, access public records, and find technical documentation. Online tools to track cleanup progress, access public records, and find technical documentation. Community Involvement Tools and Resources | US EPA

List of Information Repositories

An information repository is a collection of documents pertaining to CERCLA regulated sites. The information repository may include Site documents, reports, and correspondence as well as general Superfund program information. Information repositories are available to the community to research the site.  On March 18, 2013, the NCP was amended to allow electronic information repositories, which can take the form of electronic or digital media or can be accessed online.  

In addition to information repositories, documents may be available to the public on  EPA’s site profile page, or electronic files accessible via the Superfund Enterprise Management System Publishing (SEMS-Pub) application, or through Illinois EPA’s Document Explorer here: Home Page - IEPA Document Explorer. The Information repository also contains the administrative record for a site.

The administrative record for a site refers to the collection of documents that form the basis for the selection of a response action at a Superfund site. This record includes technical reports, decision documents, and other relevant information documenting the lead agency’s decision-making process. Not every site has an official information repository, nor are all documents included in the information repository. 

Related Programs and Opportunities

FSRS coordinates with other Illinois EPA and U.S. EPA programs to support community redevelopment and land reuse:

Brownfields Program
Assists communities in assessing and redeveloping underutilized or potentially contaminated properties. They can be found here: Illinois EPA Brownfields, US EPA Brownfields

Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) Program

The Leaking UST Section oversees the remedial activities after a release from an UST has been reported to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. They can be found here: Leaking Underground Storage Tanks

Site Remediation Program (SRP)

A voluntary cleanup program that helps property owners, developers, and municipalities manage environmental risk and return sites to productive use. They can be found here: Site Remediation Program

Office of Community Relations

A section of the agency dedicated working with the public to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of environmental programs at the Illinois EPA, as well as assisting on providing input for environmental decisions. They can be found here: Community Relations