The Sandoval Zinc Company smelter facility began operations as a primary zinc smelter between 1885 and 1890. In approximately 1915, the operations were converted to secondary zinc smelting. Compounds fed into the kilns were pure zinc, zinc oxide, zinc chloride, possibly aluminum chloride and other trace metals. The facility remained a secondary smelter until the facility closed in 1985. On June 27, 1972, the plant was completely destroyed by fire. The buildings were rebuilt and the plant continued operating until 1985. In December 1986, the
Sandoval Zinc Company was officially dissolved and the owners declared bankruptcy.
During the first eighty-five years of operation, the principle waste emissions from the plant were metal laden cinder/slag and windblown ash. Large quantities of cinder/slag from the smelting process were used in constructing and surfacing secondary roads in the plant and as fill material on the property. Cinder/slag material that were unable to be utilized by the plant were placed into large piles on the property and offered to the public and the Village of Sandoval for
use in constructing and surfacing roadways, driveways, sidewalks, parking lots and to fill in residental properties. Several areas throughout the Village of Sandoval exhibit evidence of the use of cinder/slag. Probing adjacent to driveways and sidewalks reveal cinder/slag, some of which have since been covered with concrete.
In October 2009, Illinois EPA collected residential soil samples from within the town of Sandoval and identified ten residential properties having elevated levels of total lead in its soil greater than the 1000 ppm, with the most elevated lead concentration at 49,900 ppm. Illinois EPA has identified the source for the lead as being the former smelter and that additional residential properties may also be threatened.
