Parcel 5 of the Lennon Wallpaper site contains and estimated 1,500 to 3,000 cubic yards of lead contaminated soil. The contaminated soil is located in a low lying wet area located on Parcel 5. The soil was contaminated by waste paints or pigments coming from the Lennon Wallpaper facility formerly located next to the property. Parcel 5 is located near a wetland and residential area and is unsecure to both human and animal populations and shows evidence of trespassing.
Site characterizations and inspections conducted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) in 1990, 1992, 1995, and 2000 showed elevated levels of lead. Site assessments conducted on Parcel 5 in 2001 and 2002 by START and the U.S. EPA demonstrated elevated levels of lead, with the highest total lead concentration being 10,900 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) and the highest toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) lead concentration being 100 milligrams per liter (mg/L).
