2006 Demonstration Project
Chicago, Illinois
THE SITE: The 24-acre Celotex site is a non-time critical removal site,
22 acres of which are cleaned up and ready for reuse. The property was
used for making, storing, and selling asphalt roofing products. Soil at the
site and surface soils in some nearby residential yards are contaminated
with PAHs (polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons). PAHs are chemicals that
form during the burning of coal, wood, oil and gas, and garbage. In 1989,
Illinois EPA received citizen complaints about coal tar migrating onto
their property from the Celotex site. Celotex removed all of the buildings
on the site, and left the property without plant cover, which contributed to
flooding of residences on a nearby street during a heavy rain. By August
1997, flooding issues were resolved by regrading the site and installing
a new sewage drainage system. In 2002, Sacramento Corp. bought the
Celotex property and placed at least 2 feet of gravel on about 22 acres of
the site for company use.
THE OPPORTUNITY: Both the City of Chicago and local community
members have expressed interest in using the site, located in the heart of
Chicago, in a recreational capacity.
THE BARRIERS: EPA needs to engage local stakeholders in the
environmental justice community to better understand the likely future
use of the site in order to ensure the remedy is protective for that use. EPA
also needs to understand the likely timing of the future use to make sure
the reuse does not interfere with the cleanup of surrounding residential
yards. Cleanup of the residential yards should be completed in the fall of
2009.
THE SOLUTION: EPA Region 5 plans to engage local stakeholders
in an enhanced community involvement process to provide information
about the environmental status of the site to the community and gain a
better understanding of likely future uses.
THE SITE NOW: EPAis committed to working with the local community
and understanding what future actions may be needed to ensure the remedy
remains protective. Part of this involvement will entail consulting with the
local community organizations and community leaders. The future users
will need to consider how the site's current physical characteristics may
impact available future uses.
Barriers: Understanding
appropriate uses, working with
stakeholders, involving community
members with language barriers
Solution: Encouraging and
facilitating open discussion
between stakeholders; determining
technical needs to properly design
and reuse the site
Before: Vacant gravel lot in the
"Little Village" community, just
a few miles west of downtown
Chicago
After: New recreational
possibilities
urmea btates
Environmental Protection
Agency
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
updated June 2009
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Tom Bloom, Region 5 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator, at
(312) 886-1967 or bloom.thomas@epa.gov.
Houses next to the Celotex site.
urmea btates
Environmental Protection
Agency
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
updated June 2009
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