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Smith-Douglass

Smith-Douglass Site

South Streator, Illinois

For many years, this 124-acre site was the location of fertilizer manufacturing, which used naturally occurring phosphates found in rock mined in Florida. The process used acid to free the phosphates for use in fertilizer production, and it resulted in a 25 to 40 acre pile/stack of acidic gypsum waste. The gypsum waste was piled into a strip mine pond and now rises more than 60 feet above the pond surface. Illinois EPA placed a Seal Order (to prevent public access) on the site in 1988 and, in 1989, spent $500,000 to perform an Immediate Removal of hazardous waste at the site. In 2000, the Agency worked with Borden Chemical, Inc., a former site owner, to do emergency stabilization work to safeguard surrounding residents and the environment. The temporary repairs have been renewed several times and funding is needed for a permanent remedy.