Environmental Progress - Winter 2002

Governor's Action Team Formed

A team comprised of state, federal and local government officials has been formed to discuss and attempt to resolve groundwater contamination problems in DuPage County. Over the past several months, residents of unincorporated areas around Downers Grove and Lisle have learned that their drinking water is contaminated with the solvents trichloroethylene (TCE) or tetrachloroethylene (PCE). In some cases both chemicals are present.

Since July 2001, 471 private wells in unincorporated Downers Grove have been analyzed for the solvents TCE and PCE as part of the ongoing groundwater investigation. Of these, 199 have been above the drinking water standard and another 200 had detectable levels of the contaminants below the drinking water standard. In the Lisle area, 268 wells were sampled; 181 had detectable levels of TCE, 15 of them above standard.

Because of the varied issues involved, ranging from the immediate determination of the safety of the water for drinking, to long-term issues of public water supply infrastructure, Gov. George Ryan asked the Illinois EPA assemble a group to deal with the problem.

The first meeting of the Governor's Action Team was held in mid-January. The Team consists of the representatives from the village of Downers Grove, DuPage County, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the DuPage County Health Department, the Illinois Attorney General, the U.S. EPA and the Illinois EPA. Several state and federal elected representatives also participated.

A primary objective of the meeting was to establish a Citizen's Advisory Group, or if appropriate, multiple groups. An organizational meeting was held in mid-February.

Aware that funding alternatives for hooking up to a public water supply was an important issue to some of the affected citizens, the Governor's Action Team held a special meeting to tackle funding options and local issues associated with public water supply hookups. Additional long-term goals of the Action Team will be to address groundwater contamination problems statewide. Toward that goal, the Illinois Interagency Coordinating Committee on Groundwater has formed a subcommittee with an education component to provide information to private water well users statewide. Since private drinking water wells are in private domain and not regulated by state government, there is no comprehensive mechanism to identify private water wells or to notify well owners of issues if they arise.