News Releases - 1999

Illinois EPA Seals Pana Facility

Springfield, Ill. -- Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Thomas Skinner has issued a "seal order" barring anyone from entering the South Central Terminal facility in Pana without permission from IEPA.

Because of "continuing releases occurring at the site due to the deterioration of structures, vandalism, or other causes, it is necessary to secure this site from public access so that it no longer presents an imminent hazard, pending the final mitigation or remediation of the site," the order states.

Illinois EPA personnel padlocked the site entrance and began posting signs at the facility, originally the site of a refinery, on the afternoon of June 23. Additional signs will be posted this week. The area of concern, about 45 acres, is enclosed by a chain link fence.

"The deplorable current condition of this site, as well as its history of problems, justifies use of the seal order authority provided to me as Director by the Environmental Protection Act. The Agency will not allow this type of operation to continue," Skinner said.

On June 16, Agency inspectors discovered a pipe associated with ammonium sulfate tanks, was broken.

They also observed a valve had been partially opened, allowing a steady stream of ammonium sulfate to be discharged at a rate estimated to be at least several hundred gallons per day. The IEPA inspectors closed the valve and stopped the discharge.

On the same day, Agency inspectors discovered a tank leaking a petroleum product into a water impoundment area.

Director Skinner ordered the site to remain sealed until "any and all ammonium sulfate and other materials released from the tanks onto on-site grounds or waterways are properly removed and disposed, and the tanks and associated pipelines are repaired or otherwise maintained so that no releases to the environment occur."

In December, 1998, numerous water, land and air pollution violations noted by Illinois EPA inspectors at the site were referred to the Illinois Attorney General's Office which filed a complaint in Christian County Circuit Court. An agreed preliminary injunction order requiring the site owner, Larry Edwards, to take numerous steps to clean up improperly stored and disposed wastes and to ensure the structural integrity of the storage structures was entered.

In March, the state sought to have Edwards held in contempt for failing to carry out the order. The court found Edwards was financially unable to perform many of the remediation measures contained in the order.

Subsequently, Illinois EPA has obtained a commitment from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a comprehensive site clean up. U.S. EPA personnel were expected to visit the site this week to make a preliminary assessment.