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Public comment period open for removal and partial removal of two Illinois Superfund Sites
The U.S. EPA announced Wednesday, March 4, that it is proposing to remove two Illinois sites from its list of the nation’s most contaminated hazardous waste sites, known as the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).
The sites, including the Kerr-McGee (Kress Creek) Site in West Chicago and a portion of the Velsicol Chemical Corp. Site in Clark County, were among eight sites nationwide that the U.S. EPA has proposed removing or partially removing from the NPL. The U.S. EPA is proposing the deletions because all required cleanup work has been completed and all cleanup goals have been achieved.
The U.S. EPA is now accepting public comments on the proposed changes and is inviting community members, stakeholders and local officials to review the proposal and share their feedback before making a final decision.
The Superfund process is a partnership between the state and the U.S. EPA. Illinois EPA is sharing the information below to help ensure Illinois residents are aware of the proposed changes and have the opportunity to take part in the public comment process.
The 420-acre Velsicol Chemical Corp. (Marshall Plant) Superfund site is located near Marshall in east-central Illinois. For decades, the former Velsicol facility manufactured products made from petroleum byproducts, including the pesticide chlordane. These operations resulted in contamination of on-site soil, sediment and groundwater with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pesticides. Manufacturing activities at the plant ceased in 1988. Since then, cleanup actions have addressed the sources of contamination, and long-term groundwater treatment and monitoring are ongoing.
The U.S. EPA is proposing to delete the land and soil areas of the site from the National Priorities List because cleanup work for those areas is complete. The areas proposed for deletion include the former Velsicol facility, Soil Areas 1-7, several on-site ponds, the restricted agricultural area west of the facility and other portions of the 270-acre site where no cleanup was needed.
Only routine inspection and maintenance are still required. This includes maintaining the site fence and the hazardous waste cover on the 5/6 Pond, mowing vegetation, enforcing land and groundwater use restrictions, and completing five-year reviews.
Groundwater at the site is still contaminated and undergoing long-term cleanup, so it is not being proposed for deletion. Although sediment in the onsite tributary was cleaned up and part of the creek was rerouted, groundwater had discharged to the tributary before the groundwater remedy was in place. As a result, the surface water and sediment areas will stay on the NPL until the groundwater cleanup is finished.
More details from the U.S. EPA’s Partial Deletion Justification Report (PDJ) for Velsicol can be viewed by clicking here.
The Kress Creek Superfund Site is in the West Chicago area and contains contamination linked to historical operations at the nearby Rare Earths Facility (REF). The REF, run by Lindsay Light and Chemical Company and its successors from 1932 to 1973, processed rare earth elements and produced radioactive materials such as thorium, radium and uranium. These activities generated waste that was improperly managed and eventually released into the environment, leading to contamination of Kress Creek and surrounding areas.
Cleanup of the radioactive contamination in and around Kress Creek was undertaken through the Superfund program. Remedial actions addressed contaminated sediment, floodplain soils and other affected areas. All cleanup work at the site was completed in October 2012.
The U.S. EPA is proposing to remove the Kress Creek Site from the National Priorities List because it meets all federal criteria for site completion and no further Superfund response is needed. All remedial action objectives and cleanup goals have been achieved, and all components of the selected remedy have been fully implemented. Current conditions at the Site meet acceptable risk levels across all media and exposure pathways, consistent with policy and guidance. Based on these findings, U.S. EPA has determined that the cleanup is complete and no additional Superfund actions are necessary.
The U.S. EPA’s Final Close Out Report (FCOR)for Kerr-Mcgee can be viewed by clicking here.
Public Comment Period
A website has been created for individuals or groups wishing to comment on the proposed deletion and partial deletion, to make a comment click here. When on the page, you can click ‘submit a public comment,’ and then select which facility you wish to comment on.
The public comment period on the removal of both sites is open through April 3. If comments are received within the comment period, U.S. EPA will consider the comments and respond accordingly before making a final decision to delete or partially delete the site. If necessary, U.S. EPA will prepare a Responsiveness Summary to address any significant public comments received. After the public comment period, if U.S. EPA determines it is still appropriate to delete or partially delete the site, the EPA will publish a final Notice of Deletion or Partial Deletion in the Federal Register.
What does deletion mean for a site?
According to regulations, deleting a site, or part of a site, from the NPL doesn’t change anyone’s rights or responsibilities. Deleted sites may still require five-year reviews to assess protectiveness. It also doesn’t limit the EPA’s ability to take enforcement action if it becomes necessary. Under Section 300.425(e)(3) of the National Contingency Plan, removing a site from the list doesn’t prevent EPA from taking future cleanup actions if conditions change or new concerns come up.
Additional Resources
Illinois EPA: Superfund Process