Eagle Zinc
Hillsboro, IL
Site Description
The 132-acre site is located in a mixed commercial/industrial/residential area in the northeastern part of
Hillsboro, IL. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in 2007. A series of companies owned and
operated the site over its 90-year history with the last being the Eagle Zinc company. It contains many large
structures and waste piles containing lead and other metals left over from the manufacturing process. The
buildings and large portion of the land are contaminated with those substances. The contamination presents
an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment. Currently, the site is fenced and vacant, and
people are not exposed to threatening levels of contamination from the site. Before the site can be reused, it
must be cleaned up to industrial/commercial standards.
Current Site Status and Cleanup Actions to Date
•	In 2008, Illinois EPA conducted sampling surrounding the site's buildings and associated structures;
the results indicated high levels of lead contamination inside and around the buildings.
•	In 2009, EPA signed a decision document to raze the contaminated buildings and manage the debris
with an on-site containment cell.
•	In 2010, EPA completed the design for the building demolition activities.
•	In 2012, EPA signed a decision document to address contaminated land. The remedy calls for the
treatment of characteristically hazardous waste; consolidation of treated and solid waste; sediment
excavation and stream realignment; wetland removal and replacement; institutional controls; and
monitoring and assessment of groundwater and surface water.
•	In 2013, EPA began work on the design to clean up the contaminated property. The design is
expected to be complete by the spring of 2014.
•	Construction activities will begin for both the building demolition and waste consolidation activities as
soon as federal funding is available. The current cost estimate to complete the cleanup work at the
site is about $20 million.
Unfunded Action
The FY 2013 unfunded actions included: building demolition; treatment of characteristically hazardous
waste; consolidation of treated and solid waste; sediment excavation and stream realignment; wetland
removal and replacement; institutional controls; and monitoring and assessment of groundwater and surface
water.
Current Funding Status
To date, EPA has not spent any funds on construction work at this site.
For more information on this site, please read the Eagle Zinc site information on the Region 5 Superfund
web site.

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