&EFA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Share your comments
Please plan to attend the upcoming
public meeting:
Date: Wednesday, June 2, 2004
Time: 7-9 p.m.
Location: Warrenville City Hall
28W701 Stafford Place
Warrenville, 111.
Or see the back page of this
document to learn how to review
project information at:
Warrenville Public Library
West Chicago Public Library
EPA Records Center
EPA will accept written or e-mail
comments on its final cleanup plan
during a 30-day public comment
period: May 26 - June 25, 2004
Send to:
EPA Region 5
Attn: Stuart Hill (P-l9J)
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
e-mail: hill.stuart@epa.gov
EPA Proposes Cleanup Plan
for Radioactive Contamination
Kerr-McGee Kress Creek/West Branch DuPage River Site
Kerr-McGee Sewage Treatment Plant Site
DuPage County, Illinois May 2004
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing removing radioactive
sediment (river mud) and soil to clean up the contamination in Kress Creek
and the West Branch DuPage River and floodplain areas of the creek and
river. The proposed cleanup of the creek and river would involve digging
up the contaminated sediment and soil and shipping it to a permanent
radioactive waste disposal site. EPA also is proposing that no further
cleanup action be taken at the West Chicago Sewage Treatment Plant
property after the ongoing cleanup of radioactive soil there is completed.
The purpose of this proposed plan is to provide basic background
information about the sites, describe the various cleanup options considered.
and identify the preferred cleanup alternative.
Area residents have 30 days to comment on EPA's proposed plan. See
the adjacent box to find out how your opinion can be heard. EPA, in
consultation with Illinois EPA, will select final cleanup plans for the sites
after reviewing and considering all public comments. Public comments
on this proposed plan and the information that supports it are important
contributions to the selection of final cleanup plans for the sites. Members
of the public are encouraged to review the supporting documents such as
the remedial investigation, the feasibility study, and the human health and
ecological risk assessment reports. The remedial investigation studies the
nature and extent of contamination at the sites, and the feasibility study
compares cleanup options for the sites. The risk assessment looks at the
potential risks to human health and the environment from the contamination
at the sites. These reports and other documents can be reviewed at the two
information repositories located near the sites: the West Chicago Public
Library and the Warrenville Public Library. Documents also are available
for review at EPA's Records Center at 77 W. Jackson Blvd. in Chicago (see
page 11 for additional information).
Background of sites
The Kress Creek/West Branch DuPage River site is located in DuPage
County, 111., about 30 miles west of Chicago, and includes almost seven
miles of creek and river sediment, banks and floodplain soils contaminated
with radioactive thorium residue. The Kress Creek site includes about a mile
and a half of Kress Creek stretching from a storm sewer outlet to where
the creek empties into the West Branch DuPage River. From there the site
stretches about five miles down the West Branch DuPage River past the
Warrenville Dam to the McDowell Dam. The site is shown in the figure on
page 3. Land use along the creek and river is a mixture of residential areas,
parks, county forest preserves, and property owned by religious groups and
government entities.
-------
The sewage treatment plant site is located in West
Chicago, also in DuPage County. The sewage treatment
plant site is divided into two different parts: an upland
portion and a river portion. The upland portion of the site
consists of the West Chicago Sewage Treatment Plant,
which is owned and operated by the city of West Chicago
and located northeast of the intersection of Illinois Routes
59 and 38. The river portion of the site consists of a little
over a mile of the West Branch DuPage River from the
northern edge of the sewage treatment plant property to
where Kress Creek joins the river. The site is shown in
the figure on page 3. Land use along the river portion of
the site is mostly recreational, but there are some homes
and a church on the eastern side of the river south of the
sewage treatment plant.
Portions of both the Kress Creek site and the sewage
treatment plant site are contaminated with the radioactive
thorium residue. The residue came from a facility in
West Chicago that processed radioactive thorium from
1931 through 1973. The facility originally was owned
by Lindsay Light and Chemical Co. but changed hands
several times. Kerr-McGee owned and operated the
facility from 1967 to 1973 when it closed the plant.
Thorium and other elements were separated from ores at
the plant using an acid process. The Kerr-McGee facility
is not part of the Kress Creek site and is being cleaned
up under the supervision of the Illinois Emergency
Management Agency, Division of Nuclear Safety.
Over many years, thorium-contaminated soil particles
from the Kerr-McGee facility entered a nearby storm
sewer during rainstorms and traveled to Kress Creek.
From there the pollution moved downstream in the creek
and into the West Branch DuPage River, settling into the
creek and river sediment along the way. The thorium was
also deposited onto floodplains during high water periods.
The source of the pollution has been controlled so no
more thorium is entering the creek.
The sewage treatment plant became contaminated when
radioactive thorium residuals from the Kerr-McGee
facility were hauled to the treatment facility and used
as fill material. Some of the contamination then entered
the West Branch DuPage River adjacent to the sewage
treatment plant property due to erosion and surface water
runoff during rainstorms.
Radioactivity surveys performed in the West Chicago area
by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and EPA resulted
in EPA placing the sewage treatment plant and Kress
Creek sites on the Agency's National Priorities List in
1990 and 1991. The National Priorities List is a roster of
Superfund sites nationwide. In 1993 EPA began looking
at the Kress Creek and sewage treatment plant sites, a
process known as a remedial investigation. In 1997, as a
result of negotiations between Kerr-McGee and the city
of West Chicago, Kerr-McGee began more extensive
investigations at the sites. EPA suspended its work at the
sites in 1998 at the request of Kerr-McGee and the city.
Kerr-McGee continued its extensive site investigation
work for several years while continuing to negotiate
with the city and other local entities over the cleanups.
As a result of the extensive studies and negotiations,
Kerr-McGee and the local communities agreed on a
cleanup proposal and presented it to EPA. Kerr-McGee
then officially took over the remedial investigation and
feasibility study from EPA in a written agreement reached
in late 2003. The remedial investigation and feasibility
study reports prepared by Kerr-McGee include data
collected by both EPA and Kerr-McGee.
No cleanup actions have occurred at the Kress Creek
site, but some residential properties along the creek
were cleaned up in the mid-1990s as part of a separate
residential cleanup program. Cleanup actions have also
occurred at the upland portion of the sewage treatment
plant site. During 1986 and 1987, Kerr-McGee removed
about 57,000 cubic yards of contaminated material from
the sewage treatment plant as part of a voluntary cleanup
action. No cleanup was done along the river banks or in
the river, however. In late 2003, Kerr-McGee reached
a written agreement with EPA to remove another 4,000
cubic yards of contamination from the sewage treatment
plant that was not addressed during the earlier cleanup.
This cleanup started in October 2003 and is expected to
be completed this spring. When the removal is completed,
radiation levels at the upland portion of the sewage
treatment plant site will be well within safe levels.
Contamination still remains, however, at the river portion
of the site.
Nature and extent of contamination
The contamination at the sites consists primarily of
radioactive thorium, but also includes smaller amounts
of uranium and some metals such as arsenic and lead
that were in the ores processed at the Kerr-McGee
facility. Thorium and uranium both are naturally-
occurring elements that radioactively decay to produce
other elements. Thorium decays to produce radium -
228 and uranium decays to produce radium-226. The
concentrations of radium-228 and radium-226 (together
-------
STP Upland
West Chicago,
DuPage County
Area
Warrenville
Dam
-------
known as "total radium") often are combined for
comparison to cleanup standards. Levels of radioactivity
in soil and sediment are expressed in picoCuries per
gram (pCi/g), which is a measure of the concentration of
radioactivity in each gram of soil or sediment.
EPA's testing at the sites included surface radioactivity
surveys and samples of soil, sediment, surface water and
fish tissue. EPA also collected ground water samples
from the upland portion of the sewage treatment plant site.
Kerr-McGee's testing at the sites consisted of extensive
surface radioactivity surveys of sediment, banks and
floodplains, and the collection of some soil and sediment
samples. At the upland portion of the sewage treatment
plant site, Kerr-McGee conducted further investigations at
various locations based on information from EPA's testing
and other historical information. At the Kress Creek site
and the river portion of the sewage treatment plant site,
Kerr-McGee conducted delineation drilling and downhole
gamma logging if elevated readings were detected during
the surface radioactivity surveys.
Downhole gamma logging consisted of lowering a small
radiation detector down a hole and taking radiation
readings at each 6-inch interval for a minimum of 3 feet.
If contamination was still detected at the 3-foot level,
Kerr-McGee extended the depth of the readings until the
bottom of the contaminated layer was located. At all areas
where contamination was identified, additional nearby
locations were drilled as needed until the sideways and
vertical extent of each contaminated section was defined.
In all, Kerr-McGee conducted delineation drilling and
downhole gamma logging at nearly 14,000 locations at
the Kress Creek/West Branch DuPage River site, and at
more than 2,400 locations at the sewage treatment plant
site, including more than 1,600 in the river and nearly
800 on the sewage treatment plant property. The testing
in the creek and river included testing of the sediment at
the bottom of the streams as well as the stream banks and
adjacent floodplains.
The extent of the contamination is shown on the figure
on pages 6 and 7. Kerr-McGee is conducting additional
testing at the Kress Creek site in most of the 2-mile stretch
between the Warrenville Dam and the McDowell Dam.
EPA expects to have those test results before making the
final cleanup decision.
At the Kress Creek site, the highest concentrations of
radioactivity are found near the storm sewer outlet and
the concentrations generally decrease in the downstream
direction. Concentrations as high as 897 pCi/g combined
Warrenville Dam on the West Branch DuPage River
radium were found near the outlet. The highest
concentration in the river was 402 pCi/g at a location
just downstream from where the creek joins the river.
For comparison, the highest radioactivity in the farthest
downstream portion of the site, near the McDowell Dam,
was 31 pCi/g. Overall, the average concentration of
contamination was about 41 pCi/g in the creek and about
26 pCi/g in the river.
At the sewage treatment plant site, the highest
concentration of radioactivity in the soil on the upland
portion of the site was 1,389 pCi/g and the average was
18 pCi/g. These contaminated areas are being dug up
and removed under the current cleanup agreement with
Kerr-McGee and should be completed this spring. When
that work is done, radiation levels will be well within safe
levels and the upland portion of the site will no longer
be a source of contamination into the river. The highest
concentration of radioactivity found in the river portion
of the sewage treatment plant site was 588 pCi/g and the
average concentration of the contaminated areas was about
21 pCi/g.
The studies also found that some of the contamination at
the sites is covered with a layer of clean materials, known
as overburden, that has been deposited on top of the
contamination over the years. This is especially true for
the sediment located in the wide, slow-moving portions
of the river immediately upstream of both the Warrenville
and McDowell dams. If the dams were ever removed or
if they failed, however, these areas of buried sediment
would be re-exposed and would be transported further
downstream.
While some metals were detected at the site, they do not
pose serious risks and are located in the same areas as the
-------
radioactive contamination. This means that any thorium
cleanup will also take care of metal concentrations.
Explaining site health risks
EPA conducted a study to find out the potential health
risks to people from the radioactive contamination. The
main health risk associated with radioactivity is the
increased chance of getting cancer. The study estimated
the number of cancer cases that could arise over and
above the usual number of cases expected in this part of
Illinois.
For the Kress Creek site, EPA's study assumed two
different uses of the site: recreational use and residential
use. Even though there are residential areas along
the creek and river, none of the homes are built on or
surrounded by contaminated areas. The study, however,
assumed such a situation so it could make worst-case
estimates. The study also made assumptions that people
would be exposed to the contamination at the site in
several different ways, including direct exposure to the
gamma radiation (which is similar to x-rays), inhaling
and ingesting contaminated soil particles, inhaling radon
gas (indoors), eating fruits and vegetables grown in
contaminated soil, and eating fish from the creek and
river. EPA determined the increased risk of getting cancer
from exposure to the radioactive contamination was as
high as two potential additional cases of cancer for every
1,000 people exposed under a recreational scenario,
assuming 30 years of exposure. For the residential
scenario, the increased risk of getting cancer was as high
as two potential additional cases of cancer for every 100
people exposed over 30 years. EPA considers this amount
of risk unacceptable so it can legally require the creek
and river sediment and floodplain soils be cleaned up.
EPA also determined there is a potential for animals to be
harmed.
For the sewage treatment plant site, EPA's study evaluated
separately the risks from the upland portion and the
river portion of the site. For the river portion, EPA used
the same assumptions as for Kress Creek's recreational
use and residential use. EPA determined the increased
risk of getting cancer from exposure to the radioactive
contamination was as high as six potential additional
cases of cancer for every 10,000 people exposed under
a recreational scenario, assuming 30 years of exposure.
For the residential scenario, the increased risk of getting
cancer was as high as six potential additional cases of
cancer for every 1,000 people exposed. This level of risk
is also unacceptable for people and the environment, so
EPA can legally require a cleanup.
For the upland portion of the sewage treatment plant
site, EPA assumed three different uses: a maintenance
worker at the site, a construction worker at the site, and
a future resident living on the site. EPA determined
that cancer risks from the radioactive contamination at
the site exceeded the acceptable risk range for both the
maintenance worker scenario and the future residential
scenario. The radioactive contamination at the upland
portion of the site, however, currently is being cleaned up
to reduce the radioactive concentrations and the associated
health risks. When the cleanup at the upland portion of
the site is completed this spring, the levels there will be
safe for humans and animals.
More detailed information about the risk calculations can
be found in the human health risk assessment report and
the ecological risk assessment report for the sites.
Cleanup goals
There are two main goals for site cleanup. The first and
most important goal is to reduce the risks to human
health and the environment caused by the radioactive
contamination in sediment, banks and floodplain soils.
This goal will be achieved by removing contamination
from the Kress Creek site and the river portion of the
sewage treatment plant site and meeting the cleanup
standard for the sites. The cleanup standard is
7.2 pCi/g combined radium and is based on federal
and state standards of 5 pCi/g above background, with
average background levels at the sites of 2.2 pCi/g. This
is the same cleanup standard used for the cleanup of
contaminated residential properties in the West Chicago
area.
The second goal is to lower potential adverse effects to the
environment that will be caused by the physical cleanup
activities at the site. The cleanup will disturb areas of
the creek, river and adjacent banks and floodplain areas.
These areas will be restored as close as practical to their
pre-excavation conditions.
The current cleanup Kerr-McGee is conducting at the
upland portion of the sewage treatment plant site is
meeting the cleanup goals by removing contamination and
lowering radioactivity to the 7.2 pCi/g cleanup standard.
As part of the cleanup, the upland portion of the site is
being restored to its pre-excavation conditions. EPA is
proposing that no further action be taken at the upland
portion of the sewage treatment plant site after completion
of the current cleanup there. As a result, EPA did not
-------
s
o
1
§
I
O
1
1
§
I
-------
evaluate any additional cleanup choices for the upland
portion of the site.
Cleanup choices evaluated
EPA considered different cleanup choices for addressing
radioactive sediment and soil at the Kress Creek site
and the river portion of the sewage treatment plant site.
Through a screening process described in the feasibility
study, four cleanup options were selected for further
evaluation:
1. No Action
This choice means that no cleanup actions would be taken.
The radioactive sediment and soil would be left in place
in the creek, river and floodplain without any cleanup
remedy. No monitoring would be conducted to assess the
overall condition of the sites overtime. The no-action
option is required by law to provide a baseline against
which other cleanup choices can be evaluated.
Cost: $0
2. Monitored Natural Recovery
This choice involves recovery of the sites through
naturally-occurring processes as a way of reducing risk
at the sites over time. Given the long time frame of
radioactive decay (with thorium having a half-life of 14
billion years), the natural process of radioactive decay will
not be an effective way to reduce risk at the sites. As a
result, this option would rely on physical processes within
the creek and river, such as erosion, sedimentation and
deposition, to cover areas of pollution with clean materials
over time. The progress of natural recovery would be
tracked over time through long-term monitoring, and land
use restrictions would probably be necessary to control
exposures to people during the recovery period.
Cost: $400,000 ($350,000 for the Kress Creek site and
$50,000 for the river portion of the sewage treatment
plant site)
3. Excavation and Off-Site Disposal of Targeted
Sediment/Soil Throughout the Sites
(This is EPA's preferred cleanup option for the Kress
Creek site and the river portion of the sewage treatment
plant site.)
This choice involves digging up and removing targeted
materials from the sites and sending them off-site for
disposal. Targeted materials mean any sediment, banks
or floodplain soils above the cleanup standard of 7.2
pCi/g. Targeted materials would be removed using
mechanical excavation equipment such as backhoes. The
targeted areas would first be isolated or contained using
silt curtains, sand bags, earthen berms, or sheetpiling,
depending on the situation at each location. Each targeted
area would then be "dewatered" by pumping out the water
to allow dry excavation. Throughout the creek and river,
the cleanup would be done one section at a time, and
each section would be completed before starting the next
section.
The cleanup would start at the upstream end of the
sites and proceed downstream. In areas where clean
overburden materials currently cover the targeted
materials, the overburden would be dug up first, followed
by the contamination. Targeted materials would be
excavated to predetermined depths based on the extensive
data from the sites, and excavation depths would be
verified. Excavated overburden materials would be
radiologically verified to make sure they were indeed
clean before using them as backfill. Excavated targeted
materials would be shipped off-site for disposal. This
option would use engineering controls (such as dust
control techniques) and monitoring of the air and water
to evaluate and control short-term effects during the
cleanup. Because all the contamination above the cleanup
standard would be removed under this option, no land-use
restrictions or long-term operation and maintenance would
be needed.
For the Kress Creek site, an estimated 75,000 cubic yards
of targeted materials would be removed under this option,
and an additional 47,000 cubic yards of clean overburden
would have to be dug up to reach the targeted materials.
For the river portion of the sewage treatment plant site, an
estimated 2,200 cubic yards of targeted materials would
be removed under this option, and an additional 1,100
Canoe Launch at McDowell Grove Forest Preserve
-------
Explanation of the nine evaluation criteria
EPA uses the following nine criteria to evaluate the
cleanup alternatives. A table comparing the alternatives
against these criteria is provided on page 10.
1. Overall Protection of Human Health and the
Environment. Evaluates whether a cleanup option
provides adequate protection and evaluates how risks
are eliminated, reduced or controlled through treatment,
engineering controls or local government controls.
2. Compliance with Applicable or Relevant and
Appropriate Requirements. Evaluates whether a
cleanup option meets federal and state environmental
laws, regulations and other requirements or justifies any
waivers.
3. Long-Term Effectiveness and Permanence.
Considers any remaining risks after a cleanup is
complete and the ability of a cleanup option to maintain
reliable protection of human health and the environment
over time once cleanup goals are met.
4. Reduction of Toxicity, Mobility, or Volume
Through Treatment. Evaluates a cleanup option's
use of treatment to reduce the harmful effects of the
contaminants, their ability to move in the environment
and the amount of contamination present.
5. Short-Term Effectiveness. Considers the time
needed to clean up a site and the risks a cleanup
option may pose to workers, the community and the
environment until the cleanup goals are met.
6. Implementability. Evaluates the technical and
administrative feasibility of implementing a cleanup
option and includes factors such as the relative
availability of goods and services.
7. Cost. Includes estimated capital and annual
operations and maintenance costs as well as the present
worth cost. Present worth cost is the total cost of an
alternative over time in terms of today's dollar value.
8. State Acceptance. Considers whether the state
agrees with EPA's analyses and recommendations as
described in the remedial investigation and feasibility
study reports and EPA's proposed cleanup plan.
9. Community Acceptance. Considers whether
the local community agrees with EPA's analyses and
proposed cleanup plan. The comments that EPA
receives on its proposal are an important indicator of
community acceptance.
cubic yards of clean overburden would have to be dug up
to reach the targeted materials. This cleanup would take
about three years to complete.
Cost: $73.7 million ($71.9 million for the Kress Creek
site and $1.8 million for the river portion of the sewage
treatment plant site)
4. Capping of Targeted Sediment/Soil
Throughout the Sites
This choice involves covering targeted materials with a
cap of clean soil in certain portions of the creek, river
and floodplain. Building a cap in the creek or river could
potentially make the stream more shallow, which would
reduce the stream's ability to transport floodwaters.
Building a cap in floodplain areas also could reduce the
flood-carrying capacity of the streams. To avoid this
problem, this option involves excavating and removing
the top of some contaminated areas. This would make
the areas deep enough for a cap while maintaining the
stream's existing capacity to carry floodwaters. In
areas with shallow contamination, this means that all
the targeted materials would be dug up and no cap
would be needed. Other areas of deeper contamination
would be covered with clean soil. Some areas of deeper
contamination that already are covered with clean soil
would not need to be disturbed. For sediment in the creek
and river, an additional layer of stone would be put on top
of the soil cap to help keep it in place over time.
This option would prevent direct contact of the radioactive
contamination with humans and wildlife and would
prevent the contamination from moving to another
location. The excavation and capping work would be
done dry as in Option 3, and excavated targeted materials
would be shipped off-site for disposal. As in Option 3,
engineering controls and monitoring of the air and water
would be used to evaluate and control short-term effects
of the cleanup. Because some contamination above the
cleanup standard would remain at the sites, land-use
restrictions would be needed to maintain the soil cap
over time. This option also would require long-term
monitoring and maintenance of the capped areas.
For the Kress Creek site, an estimated 21 acres would be
capped, including 9 acres of sediment and 12 acres in the
floodplain; approximately 49,000 cubic yards of targeted
materials and 33,000 cubic yards of overburden materials
would have to be removed to allow the cap to be installed.
For the river portion of the sewage treatment plant site, an
estimated 1 acre would be capped, almost all of that in the
floodplain, with less than one one-hundredth of an acre
-------
Cleanup
Choices
1
2
3
4
Evaluation Criteria for Kress Creek Site and River Portion of Sewage Treatment Plant Site
.
o •"-•
Q Jr5
v £
Q $
I-H g O
o ^ 1
w
1 1
PI
J
•1
g
^ J*
o ° "^
O JD §
c1 TS r> sj
S a ^ c
6 < ^ 1
CS g^
P^
| |
|-|
Q
1
.£
o u
to u
W S
1 1
60 PH
S T3
0 g
CO
1 1
PI
Q
•§ I ^
X § o
(2 "o S
0 ^ 4^
'-M ."tn tJ)
O i— i ^
"T3 Q UH
^
| |
r-.
r-j
Q
1
o
W
(2
•^
o
^
^
r-j
Q
.-^
^
"H
I
1--H
&
HH
vd
^
j
w
o
O
r-'
$0
$0.4
million
$73.7
million
$67.1
million
o
-»— »
o
o
1}
4-J
0^
oo'
Will be
evaluated
after the
public
comment
period
o
•|
8
o
'S
g
o
O
Os
Will be
evaluated
after the
public
comment
period
Meets Criterion
Partially Meets Criterion
Does Not Meet Criterion
of sediment capped. Approximately 2,100 cubic yards of
targeted materials and 1,100 cubic yards of overburden
materials would need to be removed to allow the cap to
be installed. This cleanup would take approximately three
years to complete.
Cost: $67.1 million ($65.5 million for the Kress Creek
site and $1.6 million for the river portion of the sewage
treatment plant site)
Evaluation of alternatives
EPA evaluated the cleanup choices against seven of
the nine evaluation criteria (see "Explanation of the
nine evaluation criteria" on page 9). The state and
community acceptance criteria will be evaluated after
public comments are received by EPA. The degree to
which the cleanup choices meet the evaluation criteria, as
determined by EPA, is shown in the table above. More
detailed information about the evaluation can be found in
the feasibility study report for the sites.
EPA's recommended cleanup plan
For the upland portion of the sewage treatment plant site,
EPA is proposing that no further action be taken after
completion of the current cleanup expected this spring.
The current cleanup is meeting the cleanup goals by
removing contamination from the site and meeting the 7.2
pCi/g cleanup standard. As part of the cleanup, the upland
portion of the site is being restored to its pre-excavation
conditions.
For the Kress Creek site and the river portion of the
sewage treatment plant site, EPA evaluated four cleanup
options against the nine criteria described in the box to
the left. As a result of this evaluation, EPA's proposed
choice is Option 3: Excavation and Off-Site Disposal
of Targeted Sediment/Soil throughout the sites (see page
8 for a complete explanation of this option). Option 3
would address the principle threats at the sites and reduce
risks to human health and the environment through
removal of the targeted materials. Option 3 also would
meet the 7.2 pCi/g cleanup standard for the sites, a level
considered safe and used during the cleanup of hundreds
of residential properties in the West Chicago area. Option
3 is the only cleanup alternative that can be considered
truly protective of human health and the environment
for the long term, especially considering the long-lived
nature of the radioactive thorium contamination. Options
1 and 2 are not desirable because they would leave all
contaminated materials in place at the sites and would
not achieve protectiveness in a reasonable amount of
10
-------
time. This is because it would take a very long time for
the naturally-occurring processes at the sites (such as
erosion, sedimentation and redeposition) to cover the
areas of contamination with clean materials. Option 4
could be protective but would leave some contaminated
materials in place and would require monitoring and
maintenance of the capped areas for an unrealistically
long period of time. Over time, catastrophic events (such
as severe floods or failure/removal of the Warrenville and
McDowell dams) could affect the capped areas and re-
expose contaminated areas. Given the long-lived nature
of the thorium contamination, the long-term effectiveness
of Option 4 is therefore questionable. Overall, Option 3 is
the best cleanup option for the sites and costs only about
10 percent more than Option 4.
Option 3 also would meet the goal of lowering potential
adverse effects to the environment caused by the physical
cleanup activities at the sites. Disturbed areas would
be restored as close as practical to their pre-excavation
conditions, except that most creek and river bed areas
would not be backfilled with clean material after the
contamination is removed. Removing layers of fine-
grained sediment that have built up over the years in the
creek and river will create a better place for fish and other
aquatic organisms to live. In-stream structures or other
features that provide habitat for fish would be documented
and reconstructed as part of the cleanup.
The Illinois EPA and the Illinois Emergency Management
Agency/Division of Nuclear Safety have indicated
that they support Option 3. Kerr-McGee and the local
community governments also favor this cleanup option.
Next Steps
EPA will consider all public comments received during the
public comment period before choosing a final cleanup
plan for the sites. A public meeting is scheduled for
Wednesday, June 2, 2004, from 7-9 p.m. (see page 1).
All comments received during the public comment period
will be addressed in a responsiveness summary which will
be included in the final decision document for each site,
called a record of decision. The record of decision for
each site will be available for public review.
To review additional project information
visit...
West Chicago Public Library
118 W.Washington St.
West Chicago, 111.
Warrenville Public Library
28W751 Stafford Place
Warrenville, 111.
EPA Records Center
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, 111.
Or contact:
Rebecca Frey, (312) 886-4760
Stuart Hill, (312)886-0689
Toll free: (800) 621-8431, weekdays 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Mailing list additions
If you did not get this fact sheet in the mail and
would like to be added to the project mailing list,
please make a note on the enclosed comment form
and return it to EPA.
11
-------
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region 5
Office of Public Affairs (P-19J)
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
FIRST CLASS
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
KERR-MCGEE KRESS CREEK/WEST BRANCH DUPAGE RIVER SITE;
KERR-MCGEE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT SITE:
EPA Proposes Cleanup Plan for Radioactive Contamination
This fact sheet is printed on paper made of recycled fibers.
EPA Proposes Cleanup Plan
for Kerr-McGee Sites
Radioactive sediment and soil
to be removed from Kress Creek,
West Branch DuPage River
(details inside)
-------
Comment Sheet
EPA is interested in your comments on the proposed cleanup plan for radioactive contamination at the Kerr-McGee Kress
Creek/West Branch DuPage River and Sewage Treatment Plant sites. Please use the space below to write your comments,
then fold and mail this form. Comments must be postmarked by June 25, 2004. You may also submit your comments to
Stuart Hill athill.stuart@epa.gov, or fax at (312) 353-1155. In addition to mailing, faxing, or e-mailing your comments,
you may also submit them in person between 7 and 9 p.m. at the June 2, 2004 public meeting being held at the Warrenville
City Hall. If you have any questions, please contact Stuart Hill at (800) 621-8431 Ext. 60689 or direct at (312) 886-0689.
Name
Address
City State.
Zip
-------
Fold on Dashed Lines, Tape, Stamp, and Mail
Name
Address
City
Zip
State
Stuart Hill
Community Involvement Coordinator
Region 5
Office of Public Affairs (P-19J)
77 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
------- |