ComEd: Benzene and PAH on city property pose no risk; cleanup in 2011 planned

[May 05, 2010]  At Monday night's voting session of the Lincoln City Council, copies of a letter from Peter McCauley of ComEd were distributed to council members and press, with a report of findings attached regarding testing that had been done on city property.

The testing was conducted last fall at the city streets and alleys site at 103 Third St., the former site of a city gas plant.

Between 1873 and 1935 that location was the city's coal gasification plant. At the plant, coal was burned to produce a natural gas that was piped throughout the town to businesses and residences, as part of the city utilities.

Over the years, such gas plants throughout the state were closed down and turned over to larger utility companies. The gasification processes ceased, and the property that belonged to the cities was re-purposed for other uses.

When it was discovered that byproducts and waste products from these gas plants had the potential to be harmful to health and or the environment, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency conducted searches to determine the "successors in interest" at each plant.

Those successors in interest are now being held responsible for conducting site testing to determine if waste left behind is harmful to health or the environment.

In what is termed a voluntary program between the IEPA and the utilities, site testing is to be conducted and, if warranted, waste recovered.

According to the report that accompanied McCauley's letter, testing at the site resulted in finding benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAH, at the location.

The report stated: "While some of the compounds are considered hazardous, test results indicate that they do not pose a risk to people on or near the property. Most of the property is covered with buildings and pavement, which means that individuals are not exposed to the compounds found underground. Additionally, the groundwater is not a drinking water source for the community."

Regardless of the report that the findings pose no risk, ComEd will be implementing a cleanup and recovery process in the future.

The report stated that ComEd will later, with input from the city, "develop a plan to ensure the site is restored to a condition that is protective of human health and the environment over the long term."

The report also indicated that the recovery process will begin in 2011, "at the earliest."

ComEd has filed their official report with the city of Lincoln, the IEPA and has provided a copy to the public via the Lincoln Public Library at 725 Pekin St.

[By NILA SMITH]