Wedron Groundwater Contamination Site

Site Information

Wedron — unincorporated community near Dayton, Ill. (La Salle County)
EPA ID# ILN000510677
Superfund Site Progress Profile
Maps (PDF) (9 pp, 3MB)
Photos (PDF) (5 pp, 322K)

Contact Information

Community Involvement Coordinator
Heriberto León (leon.heriberto@epa.gov)
312-886-6163 or 800-621-8431, ext. 66163

On-Scene Coordinator
Steven Faryan (faryan.steven@epa.gov)
312-353-9351 or 800-621-8431, ext. 39351

Bureau of Land Representative Illinois EPA
Bruce Everetts
(bruce.everetts@illinois.gov)
1021 N. Grand Ave. East
P.O Box 19276
Springfield, IL 62794-9276
217-524-1663

Links

EPA Superfund Home Page
Region 5 Superfund
Superfund Frequent Questions

Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry

Public Meeting

Staff from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ATSDR and Illinois EPA will be available at an open house and public meeting to provide Wedron residents updated information on the investigation of the Wedron Groundwater Contamination site and the next steps to provide an alternative water supply to affected residents.

Public Meeting Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at 6 - 7pm.

Open House from 4pm - 6pm & 7pm - 8pm

Serena High School “Vintage” Gym
2283 N 3812th Rd
Serena, IL

Background

EPA and Illinois EPA have been working in Wedron, Ill., to determine which private drinking water wells have been affected by pollution. The agencies are also investigating potential sources of the groundwater contamination. “Groundwater” is an environmental term for underground supplies of fresh water.

In 2011, residents of Wedron reported gasoline odors from their water. As a result, the Illinois Department of Public Health collected groundwater samples in October 2011 and found two homes with benzene levels above the health standard. In November 2011, the LaSalle County Health Department told these residents to no longer drink or use their well water. Illinois EPA then contacted EPA, which began the current investigation.

Beginning in December 2011, EPA collected groundwater samples from 22 residential wells and one commercial well in the LaSalle County town. These samples were tested for the presence of a family of chemicals called volatile organic compounds or VOCs, semi-volatile organic compounds and metals.

Site Update

April 2013

Last year, EPA sampled all but two of the 45 homes in Wedron. EPA is trying to get access to the remaining two properties. Nine homes tested positive for volatile organic compounds, including benzene, and these residents were offered bottled water. In addition, EPA’s contractor installed filtration systems in these homes in February 2013.

Since last October, EPA has hosted community meetings every two months, and the most recent meeting was on April 3. Health officials from the CDC’s Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry have joined us at meetings and are a resource for residents with health concerns. The next EPA event will be an open house scheduled for early June, and it will be advertised on our website.

This spring and summer EPA will continue efforts to investigate the sources of contamination and explore options for a long-term solution. These efforts include:

Plans to conduct vapor intrusion sampling in homes in early May to determine whether indoor air is being impacted by the contamination.
Evaluating locations for two new semi-private deep wells that would serve the nine homes with contaminated wells.
Overseeing a groundwater study being voluntarily conducted by Fairmont Minerals this spring.
Continuing to work with Illinois EPA, which is conducting a soil investigation at the Hoxsey property in May 2013.

July and August 2012

In July 2012, EPA and Illinois EPA collected soil samples from 18 locations in Wedron using a special drilling rig called a geoprobe that can collect samples beneath soil surface. The results of the soil sampling also showed elevated levels of the VOCs benzene, chloroform, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. This investigation also identified several potential sources of the groundwater and soil contamination.

Also in July 2012, EPA, Illinois EPA and the Illinois Fire Marshal’s office oversaw the excavation and removal of an underground tank that was uncovered during a rail expansion along the Illinois Railway tracks bordering N. 2153 Road (LaSalle County 11). Illinois Railway hired a contractor to remove the liquid in the tank, clean the tank and remove the affected soil.

EPA oversaw an investigation conducted by Hoxsey property owners in August 2012 at the former Hoxsey gas station to determine if underground tanks or piping are still present. The investigation identified piping from the tanks on the property, but did not find tanks still underground. An additional investigation was set to be conducted by Illinois EPA at this property.

Site History

In April 1982, Illinois EPA began a groundwater investigation in Wedron after the Illinois Department of Public Health received complaints from several residents of gasoline-type odors in their private well water. Illinois EPA collected groundwater samples from several private wells in April 1982, June 1983 and August 1983 and confirmed the presence of chemicals found in gasoline. At that time, a new deeper well was drilled to provide clean drinking water to the affected homes. In addition, an investigation of several potential sources of contamination was completed, but no source was found.

Site Description

The site is the unincorporated community of Wedron located in LaSalle County, Ill. The site is located in a mixed rural, residential, and industrial area. North of the site are residential homes, agriculture, and undeveloped land. To the east are the Fox River, agriculture, and undeveloped land. To the south are the Wedron Silica sand-mining facility and mining pits; and to the west are two Wedron Silica quarries, agriculture, and undeveloped land. Current and former commercial and industrial properties known at the site include the Fairmount Minerals Ltd., Wedron Silica Mining Co., Illinois Railway railroad company, the former Hoxsey gas station, and the former W.D. Grain Co.

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Documents