EPA Begins Hazardous Waste Cleanup at Wear Cote International Site in Rock Island, Illinois
CHICAGO (July 26, 2021) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will begin a hazardous waste cleanup at the Wear Cote International site, 10th Street, Rock Island, Illinois. U.S. EPA anticipates the cleanup will be completed by the end of summer.
The former metals processing company used a method called electroless nickel plating process to clean, strip and coat metals. This process used corrosive products that generated hazardous wastes including chromium, lead, cadmium and volatile organic compounds such as tetrachloroethylene, or PCE. During the cleanup, U.S. EPA will remove tanks, drums and small containers of hazardous waste.
In January 2021, Illinois EPA referred the site to U.S. EPA due to high cleanup costs. U.S. EPA anticipates the cleanup to cost more than $1 million.
To learn more, visit: https://response.epa.gov/wearcote.
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