Illinois EPA developed a plan to review and prioritize existing permitted facilities and cleanup sites to which the law applies. New sites are being screened as they enter a program and information becomes available.

Depending upon the nature and extent of the release, and taking into account notification and community relations work that has already been done, Illinois EPA will offer the responsible party or remedial applicant performing the cleanup an opportunity to make the notification. The Illinois EPA will review and approve the outreach plan and method of notification as well as the notification itself. If the party declines to do so, the Agency will make the notification.

Yes. Illinois EPA will confer with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) in each situation where there is concern for potential health impacts to Illinois citizens. Illinois EPA will also work closely with county and local health departments that wish to be involved in the notification process and in the dialogue with the interested public.

Notifications will be given to owners of private wells that are within 200 feet of any measured or modeled groundwater contamination from a given site. Notification will also be given to property owners where soil contamination from a site has been identified above state health-based cleanup values. In addition, persons or facilities within 1000 feet of a contaminated site with an interest in knowing more about the situation may be included in a notification (e.g., nursing home or school administrator).

Prior to the new law, the Agency attempted to keep citizens advised about known contamination from certain types of sites where community relations activities were required or needed based on citizen concerns or interest.  Many clean up sites did not fall into these categories, and the responsible party or remedial applicant performed community relations work on their own initiative, if at all. 

The current notification process will include more types of sites and will notify nearby residents in a timely manner about threats from soil or groundwater contamination. The goal is for citizens to be in a position to make informed decisions to avoid or minimize exposure to contamination from environmental sources.

New Internet geographic information system (GIS) tools, combined with an Agency evaluation process for screening threats to off-site water wells, are now in place to help identify sites where notification is needed.

Not necessarily.  The new law requires notification to well owners about potential contamination threats but does not provide resources for testing.  In certain circumstances, the Agency may request that a responsible party perform well testing with state oversight, using standard procedures and a certified laboratory.  If the Agency is conducting a source investigation, it is possible that some private wells in an area of concern may be sampled to determine the nature and extent of contamination.

The Illinois Department of Public Health, U. S. and Illinois State Geological Surveys, and Illinois State Water Survey have assisted Illinois EPA in developing an inventory of private wells and public water systems (including non-community wells).  This information may be viewed and accessed through an easy-to-use Internet GIS by state agency staff, local health departments and consultants for business that are approved for such access.  While this website will not show every private well, it is a good indicator that private wells are located in a given area and establishes a need to notify, if contamination is identified in that area.

If Illinois EPA determines that uncontrolled, off-site soil contamination, at levels greater than state health-based cleanup values, poses a threat to residents near a site, notification will occur. Additionally, if the soil contamination is the type that can migrate to groundwater, notification will be provided to private well users in the area whose wells are potentially threatened.

Illinois EPA is also concerned about the potential for contaminant vapors (from groundwater or soil contamination) that could migrate into residents’ homes and will notify residents of such a threat.

The regulations establish requirements for how to perform satisfactory well surveys and community relations activities to notify the public and establish an ongoing dialogue about environmental contamination. New regulations also were adopted by the Illinois EPA to provide for recovery of costs from responsible parties if the Agency performs the notification process. The regulations may be viewed at: http://www.ipcb.state.il.us/SLR/IPCBandIEPAEnvironmentalRegulations-Title35.asp Look under Subtitle O, Chapter I, Part 1600 and Chapter II, Part 1662.