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Illinois Cabinet Company

 
Site Contact:
Colin Hendrickson
On-Scene Coordinator

(Hendrickson.Colin@epa.gov)

Site Location:
2525 11th Street
Rockford, IL 61104
 response.epa.gov/IllinoisCabinetCompany

Removal Work Updates: updated 03/10/2025

  • All planned demolition and debris disposal has now been completed at the site.
  • A total of 625 loads (10,550 tons) of asbestos contaminated debris has been transported to a landfill.
  • The basements on-site are backfilled with compacted recycled concrete. 
  • A total of five 55-gallon drums with unknown contents have been retrieved from the site and are awaiting disposal.
  • Throughout removal, results of perimeter asbestos air sampling has never found any exceedances above action levels.  

Site Background

The Illinois Cabinet Company was a large industry on Rockford's southeast side that operated from 1906 until 1973 creating wooden furniture. Since then, the Site has been primarily used as a storage warehouse for a variety of companies and then sat mostly vacant. In September 2023, the current owner of the Site signed a contract with a contractor to salvage building materials. The scrapping work was then done without an asbestos inspection, abatement permit, or demolition permit.

The City of Rockford Building Department became aware of demolition work in the building sometime in December 2023. Before it could inspect the Site or issue a stop-work permit, a large fire broke out in the five-story western portion of the Site on the evening of December 15. The fire caused significant damage and collapsed approximately half of the site into a pile of rubble and debris about 1.6 acres in size. Investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing and arson has not been ruled out. Following the fire, the City inspected the remaining structure and identified suspected ACM debris. The mayor of Rockford then submitted a letter on February 22, 2024 to the EPA requesting a removal assessment and possible removal action.

On September 30, 2024, EPA mobilized to the Illinois Cabinet Company site to start the removal of asbestos contaminated debris and structurally unstable buildings that are at the result of a fire and building material salvaging. During removal, water will be sprayed on debris to provide dust suppression and air monitoring will be conducted to help ensure that asbestos fibers do not migrate off-site.

The Site is located in a mixed residential and commercial area on the southeast side of Rockford. Several single-family homes are located across Harrison Avenue approximately 400 feet south of the Site. Just 50 feet immediately north of the Site is Collins Aerospace, one of Rockford’s largest employers.


Pile of rubble and debris left behind from fire. Rubble pile left behind from fire. ACM debris confirmed among the pile. Elevated view of the rubble pile. Closeup view of debris pile. ACM debris found among the debris. Interior view of the original 1906 building. Salvage contractor collapsed all floorboards to the ground floor, compromising the structural integrity of the building. 55-gallon drum found among the debris of the original 1906 building. Bagged ACM pipe wrap left behind by salvage contractor. Signs of trespass. START contractors taking samples of poly drums. Fencing placed along 11th Street. Cleared out brush and small trees. Gravel laid out and first trailer arrived. Exclusion zone established with signage. Air monitoring device and sampling pump set up at north perimeter of site. Initial removal of debris pile left by Building #3 and segregation of metal. Dust suppression being applied throughout operation. Bulk sampling of roofing material with CID. DustTrak and sampling pump powered with solar panels. Removal of smokestack connected to boiler room. Deconstruction of Building #7 using long-reach excavator with concrete muncher attachment. Removal of progress of Building #7; the roof and majority of walls have been deconstructed. Removal of the remaining smokestack. During freezing temperatures, holding water hose can be dangerous. Instead, the hose is angled onto the pile that needs to be wetted. Drum sampling of the drums that were found in Building #7. Unearthed drum found among the debris in the basement of Building #7. Large pile of bags containing ACM pipe wrap debris uncovered in the basement of Building #7. Bags of ACM pipe wrap lined up for inventory and sampling. 132 bags of ACM pipe wrap lined up for removal. Final truck, #625, being loaded with ACM debris.