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EPA work continues on DePue's
Superfund site
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'South Ditch' contaminated by New
Jersey Zinc/Mobil chemical plant
[MAY 20, 2005]
SPRINGFIELD -- In
another major step forward in the cleanup of contamination at the
former New Jersey Zinc/Mobil Chemical plant site in DePue, removal
of sediment contaminated with heavy metals and other toxic materials
from a drainage canal that feeds into Lake DePue will get under way
this spring, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency announced
Monday.
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The excavation and removal of the
contaminated sediment from the "South Ditch" and the pre-removal
construction of an on-site interim storage cell is expected to be
completed by late fall and will prevent the ongoing additional
contamination of Lake DePue. For many years, runoff from the New
Jersey Zinc/Mobil Chemical plant property has contaminated the South
Ditch sediments. These contaminated sediments, in turn, have been an
ongoing source of contamination of Lake DePue, which is an economic
catalyst for the village of DePue. Runoff from the plant property is
currently controlled and treated on-site; therefore, completion of
the South Ditch work will stop site-related contaminations from
entering the lake.
The work is required as part of an interim consent order
requirement. The order required the responsible parties to
investigate the South Ditch sediments and to implement the chosen
remedy for the sediments. Primary oversight is by Illinois EPA.
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"This is another important step forward
in addressing a site with a history of serious contamination, and
IEPA will continue to work with the village, the responsible
parties, the courts and the U.S. EPA to move the cleanup forward,"
said Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano.
Over the last few years the responsible parties have graded and
covered the large phosphogypsum stack area north of the village.
That work is in the final states of re-vegetation and runoff
control. The responsible parties are also currently completing
investigation work on the plant site and will soon be conducting
additional fieldwork throughout the community, as well as in Lake
DePue.
[Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency news release]
Background information
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