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OGLE COUNTY
BYRON
Congressional District # 16
BYRON SALVAGE YARD
EPA ID# ILD010236230Last Updated: September, 2006
Site Description
The Byron Salvage Yard, located in Ogle County, Illinois, encompasses both the Byron Salvage Yard and Dirk's Farm near the city of Byron. During the 1960s and 1970s, the site accepted miscellaneous wastes and debris for disposal, including drums, paint, sludges, solvents scrap metal, and other industrial wastes. During periods of heavy rainfall, the former owner would release ponded wastes that would then be carried offsite by surface water runoff. Plating waste, containing cyanide, was also sprayed onto roads as dust control at the site. Approximately 5,000 people live in Byron, Illinois, and approximately 50 people live within one mile of the site.Site Responsibility
This site is being addressed through federal and state actions. EPA is the lead agency overseeing the Potentially Responsible Parties' implementation of the required remedies with the support from the State of Illinois through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).Threats and Contaminants
In 1976, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) confirmed the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metals in the soil, surface water, and groundwater. Specific contaminants in groundwater include current/future risk vinyl chloride, TCE, and cyanide. The contaminated groundwater plume affects approximately 200 homes.Cleanup Progress
In 1984, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) constructed a fence to prohibit site access and supplied bottled water to affected residents. From 1985-1986, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) disposed of an estimated 11,000 drums and excavated, disposed and/or treated roughly 3,000 cubic yards of highly contaminated soils. In 1986, carbon filtration systems were installed in affected homes to replace bottled water. In 1988, IEPA connected approximately 180 homes to the Byron municipal water supply, and the carbon filtration systems were removed. In 1989, U.S. EPA initiated additional activity to extend municipal water services to approximately 27 other residences, to monitor surface water and groundwater, and to plug abandoned private wells and any monitoring wells that were not in use. During the course of these activities and the investigation of the salvage yard, an adjacent property, Dirks Farm, was also discovered to contain contaminated soils and groundwater. U.S. EPA conducted a remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) on the Dirks Farm which was completed in February 1997.A record of decision (ROD), Operable Unit #4 (OU#4), addressing contaminated soil, was signed in September 1998. The OU#4 ROD, addressing contaminated groundwater, was signed on December 23, 1999. The OU#4 ROD requires the excavation, treatment, and offsite disposal of VOC-contaminated soil. While the ROD required that metal-contaminated soils be capped in place, design sampling showed that this was not necessary, because the levels found were below the action levels. An area called the East Disposal Area was remediated by removing metal-contaminated soils for offsite disposal. A new well was drilled by the city of Byron and connected to the existing water supply.
In 2002, excavation and offsite disposal of contaminated soil on the Dirk's Farm property was completed, and long-term groundwater monitoring was initiated. A five-year review was signed on August 29, 2003. The remedies were found to be effective as implemented. When the next five-year review is completed in 2008, there should be sufficient data to model the groundwater plumes and to determine if they continue to abate.
Contacts
Remedial Project Manager, U.S. EPAdavid seely (seely.david@epa.gov)
(312) 886-7058
Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA
janet pope
(312) 353-0628
Aliases
BYRON JOHNSON