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Loewenthal Metals Corp.

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  • Chicago, IL (Cook County)
  • EPA ID# ILP000510081
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Contact Information

Community Involvement Coordinator
Heriberto León (leon.heriberto@epa.gov)
312-886-6163 or 800-621-8431, ext. 66163 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

On-Scene Coordinator
Steven Faryan (faryan.steven@epa.gov)
312-353-9351 or 800-621-8431, ext. 39351 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

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Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry

Loewenthal Metals is a former industrial site at 947 W. Cullerton St. in Chicago, Ill. The half-acre site is in a largely residential area, just west of Interstate 90/94. Historical records indicate that the facility operated as a lead and zinc smelter, as well as a scrap metal dealer, during the 1940s.

In December 2011, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency referred the site to EPA for a potential cleanup action. EPA began to investigate and was unable to get a response from the current owners regarding access. As a result, the Department of Justice obtained a warrant allowing EPA access to the site to conduct sampling activities beginning the week of Nov. 26, 2012.

The City of Chicago erected a temporary fence in December 2012 to prevent public access to the property.

March 2013 update

EPA plans to take emergency action this spring to clean up high levels of lead in the soil at the former Loewenthal Metals site. The site is at 947 W. Cullerton St. in Chicago. U.S. EPA classifies the cleanup at the property as a “time-critical removal action” because people could get sick from the pollution if exposed. The Agency will conduct the work under the authority of the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, better known as the Superfund law.

U.S. EPA Plans Urgent Lead Cleanup (PDF) (1p, 53K)
EPA de EE.UU. Planifica Acción de Emergencia (PDF) (1p, 52K)

February 2013 update

EPA has received the results of sampling conducted on Nov. 27, 2012. Analytical results show lead levels as high as 1,200 parts per million (ppm) in soil near the surface and as high as 23,000 ppm a foot or more underground. Conditions at the site meet the criteria for a cleanup, and EPA will now start the process to conduct a "time-critical removal" on the site. One of the first steps will be to request the property owner's consent. If such consent is not given, EPA will evaluate its enforcement options, which include applying for a warrant to allow access. EPA will also sample soil at some properties adjacent to the Loewenthal site to determine the extent of the lead contamination.

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