The Abandoned Drums 17000E Road site was first discovered during an inspection conducted by Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. In late 2015, Illinois EPA requested the federal Agency’s assistance in conducting a removal assessment and cleanup at the site. The site contains abandoned drums and containers as well as what appears to be the remnants of a tire fire. The soil in the footprint of the tire fire area is black and little vegetation is growing. Parts of tires and car parts can be seen in the burn area.
U.S. EPA conducted an initial site evaluation shortly after receiving Illinois EPA’s request for assistance. During this inspection, U.S. EPA responders sampled the soil and materials in some of the abandoned drums. The site assessment conducted at the site showed lead and multiple pesticides that exceeded removal management levels (RMLs) in the soil. Additional site assessment activities were conducted in 2016 to determine the extent of contamination.
EPA began a time-critical removal action at the site in May 2017. Most of the work was completed by the end of July 2017. Actions taken included: establishing access to the burn area; removing, treating, and disposing of the contaminated soil; sampling and removing the abandoned drums; and backfilling. At this time, all equipment has been removed from the site.
EPA returned to the area for a brief time in the fall to restore the area with seed native to the Kankakee County area.
For press inquiries, please contact Rachel Bassler, Region 5 EPA Public Information Officer, at 312-886-7159 or bassler.rachel@epa.gov
