Canton Industrial Corporation / International Harvester

Canton Industrial Corporation/International Harvester Site

Fact Sheet #2
August 1999

Canton, Illinois

Background

This 33-acre site, which is adjacent to the Canton downtown business district, was the location of industrial facilities which operated as foundries, manufacturers of farm implements and other processes. In recent years, it was the site of a large tire shredding and recycling operation. International Harvester owned and operated the site from 1919 until 1983. Canton Industrial Corporation (CIC), later known as Cyber America, operated at the site from 1984 until 1994 and ran the tire recycling operation. In 1991, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) cited CIC for violations relating to improper storage of drummed wastes and failure to implement a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act closure plan at the site. During 1995 and 1996, the Illinois EPA was involved in a large cleanup of tires at the site.

In August 1997, a serious fire at the site leveled or significantly damaged more than one-half of the buildings. The fire left damaged and deteriorating asbestos-containing materials open to the environment in many areas. The site also presented physical hazards due to the instability of some of the damaged buildings as well as potential unknown chemical hazards. Demolition work, including scrapping and asbestos removal, began at the site in January 1998 by contractors for Cyber America; these operations ceased due to financial difficulties in the spring of 1999.

In June 1999, Fulton County and the City of Canton initiated proceedings to take title to the site as a result of unpaid property taxes. The City of Canton is currently planning a redevelopment project at the site to reclaim and reuse some of the property.

What are the current actions being taken at the site?

Contractors for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are in the process of conducting an immediate removal action. This includes removal of more than 500 containers of potentially hazardous or flammable materials, including 55gallon drums, 5-gallon pails and paint cans and a small amount of laboratory chemicals. In addition, the U.S. EPA will reinforce the fence around the site and provide for 24-hour site security.

What is involved in the immediate removal action?

The containers of unknown materials will be staged, marked, and sampled for chemical analysis. Once U.S. EPA has established what is in each container, that agency will hire contractors to properly dispose of the contents. Some materials may have to be sent to a hazardous waste landfill.

What happens after the emergency removal? What will be done with the rest of the site?

The site will need an environmental investigation to fully characterize possible hazards. The U.S. EPA, Illinois EPA and the contractor for the City of Canton plan to work together to accomplish initial soil and groundwater sampling at the site. Once the site has been fully characterized, it will be better known how the site may be redeveloped.

When will the results of the environmental sampling be known?

Environmental sampling on the site may begin as early as this fall. Once these sampling results are available, possibly in the spring of 2000, the state and federal environmental agencies will issue a new fact sheet explaining the results.

Does contamination on the site represent a hazard to area residents?

Currently, any potential contamination appears to be confined to the site. While there could be some contamination of groundwater beneath the site, no Canton residents are currently using groundwater wells for a source of drinking water, so there should not be a route of exposure for area residents to any potential contaminants. Illinois EPA and U.S. EPA won't know the extent of the contamination until all the environmental sampling work is completed.

What are the City's plans for the Brownfield redevelopment project?

The City of Canton is in the process of developing plans to redevelop the site in conjunction with the environmental assessment work. Once this sampling is complete, and the results are known, plans for cleanup and redevelopment will be discussed. For more information, contact brownfields redevelopment consultants Joy Stieglitz and Rebecca Cors at 888/255-3989.

Are there still asbestos-containing materials on the site?

Since the demolition and cleanup project begun by Cyber America early in 1998 stopped short of completion, it is known that more asbestos-containing materials exist. The Illinois EPA and the U.S. EPA will cooperate to define the extent of any remaining asbestoscontaining materials and to work toward the goal of cleaning up any hazardous materials.

Are previous owners involved in cleanup actions?

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