The Anchor Metal Finishing Site is located at 9355 Bernice Avenue in Schiller
Park, Illinois. The meridian coordinates for the Site are latitude 41° 56' 53.86" North
and longitude 87° 51' 40.27" West. The Site contains a one-story brick building with an
area of approximately 10,000 square feet (ft^) that includes a small metal loft, an office
in the northeast corner, and a partially walled workshop in the middle of the building's
main floor. The building has a concrete floor except for a gravel area along the south
wall. A gravel parking area is located north and east of the building. The gravel parking
area occupies approximately 26,000 ft^.
The Site is located in an industrial park area bordered by commercial trucking
businesses to the east and south and industrial businesses to the north and west.
Residences are located within 0.20 mile southwest and 0.20 mile north and northeast of
the Site. Several schools and a hospital are located near the Site, including East
Leyden High School, Lincoln Middle School, a daycare center, and Animal Care
Hospital. The Des Plaines River is located 0.30 mile east of the Site.
Anchor Metal Finishing, Inc. was a black oxide finisher that used chemical
conversion on steel, a process that did not involve electroplating. Before Anchor Metal
Finishing, Inc., Royal Metal Finishers conducted finishing operations at the Site. Royal
Metal Finishers conducted two primary on-site operations: zinc plating on carbon steel
and black oxidizing of steel. Royal Metal Finishers also conducted smaller operations
for black oxidizing of stainless steel and copper plating on carbon steel. Process
wastes generated by Royal Metal Finishers included filter press wastes, zinc bath
sludge, iron oxide sludge, copper bath sludge, and zinc plating cleaner sludge. Royal
Metal Finishers ceased operations at the Site in the late 1980s, around the time when
Anchor Metal Finishing began renting space in the Site building. Anchor Metal
Finishing, Inc operated at the Site from the late 1980s until January 2008. The Elite
Sewer Company is presently operating as a business on the property. Elite Sewer uses
the building for storage and occupies the building office. Elite Sewer also utilizes the
property parking lot.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (lEPA) on January 8, 2008,
responded to a complaint that Anchor Metal Finishing, Inc. was relocating to another
location and moving drums in the middle of the night. lEPA inspectors completed an
inventory of processed waste with the Anchor Metal Finishing, Inc., foreman, Daniel
Wozniak. The lEPA inspectors advised Mr. Wozniak to develop and submit a formal
written inventory of all the chemicals and materials at the Site. Because of the large
number of drums, their poor condition, and uncontrolled Site conditions related to waste
storage, lEPA requested U.S. EPA's assistance
