Community Relations - Fact Sheets

Cleanup Work Begins at the Gilberts/Kedzie Property

Fact Sheet #2
November 2004

Gilberts, Kane County, Illinois

Gilberts/Kedzie and Tower Hill Road Sites

Cleanup is set to begin in November at one of two Gilberts-area sites where the soil is contaminated with lead. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to remove nearly 12,000 tons of soil and other lead-contaminated materials. The project is expected to take about four months.

Known locally as “dump sites,” the first area to be cleaned are the Gilberts/Kedzie site, located between Galligan Road and the Chicago & Northwestern Railway tracks; and the Tower Hill Road site, between Mill and Jackson streets, just west of the tracks. Both areas were formerly used by Raymond McNew. Jr. who operated a battery cracking/lead recycling facility during the 1960's. Mr. McNew apparently broke open the battery casings to remove the lead and allowed the acid material to drain on the ground.

Negotiations are still ongoing to clean up the second dump site within the village. This dump site is referred to as the Tower Hill Road site and cleanup of this second property could begin sometime this year.

Lead-contaminated soil will be removed, treated and disposed of in an EPAapproved landfill. All work will be done during daylight hours, and area residents will notice increased truck traffic in the area. During the project, EPA will closely monitor the air around the sites to ensure the safety of workers and local residents.

All work will be done during daylight hours. The cleanup should be completed by April 2005, weather permitting. Please contact Mike Ribordy, EPA, if you have any technical questions or concerns regarding the cleanup activities.

Additional Illinois EPA Sampling

The week of Nov. 8, Illinois EPA will continue its investigation work at the Kedzie site to determine whether site-related contamination exists on nearby properties. Illinois EPA will be testing area ground water, including some private wells, for a variety of contaminants. The state agency will also perform various types of soil sampling to check for the presence of lead and other metals on select properties near the site. Results from these environmental tests will be published in a fact sheet later this year.

Additional Information

For additional information about the site, please visit the information repository located at the Gilberts Village Hall or contact one of the team members listed below: