News Releases - 2002

Governor's Action Team Meets to Discuss DuPage County Groundwater Problems

Springfield, Ill. -- State, federal and local government officials met Monday in downtown Chicago to discuss the groundwater contamination problems in the Downers Grove area and possible solutions.

The Governor's Action Team consists of the representatives from the village of Downers Grove, DuPage County, DuPage County Health Department, the Illinois Department of Public Health, State Senator Kirk Dillard, State Representative Patti Bellock, the Illinois Attorney General, the U.S. EPA and the Illinois EPA. "I feel it is important to get the right team assembled to resolve this important environmental problem, both in the short term, to help the citizens of DuPage County, but also in the long term, to ensure safe drinking water is available for citizens of the state, said Governor Ryan."

One of the primary objectives of the meeting was to establish a Citizen's Advisory Group, or if appropriate, multiple groups. Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano committed to hold an organizational meeting no later than mid-February. Information stating the date and location will be sent to affected residents of Downers Grove area within one week. Representatives from the Citizen's Advisory Group will then provide input to the Governor's Action Team. The Action Team will in turn provide their expertise and possible solutions to the problems of the citizens.

According to Director Cipriano, "While we achieved all of the stated goals for the first meeting, we are keenly aware of the work yet to be done. It will take the participation and cooperation of all involved."

The Action Team also agreed to confirm the status of public water supply customers and private well users to ensure that the universe of private well users is known.

Aware that funding alternatives for hooking up to a public water supply is an important issue to affected citizens, the Governor's Action Team decided to hold a special meeting to tackle funding options and local issues associated with public water supply hookups. Director Cipriano requested that, at the next meeting of the Action Team, all relevant infrastructure information, including real or perceived roadblocks to hooking up to a public water supply, be presented for discussion.

During the meeting, U.S.EPA announced that, as part of the ongoing source investigation with Illinois EPA, initial soil studies from the Ellsworth Industrial Park area would be available by the end of February. In addition, they are sending formal request letters to select businesses requiring certain information on their past and present use and disposal of solvents, as a supplement to letters already sent by the Illinois EPA.

The Illinois EPA representative on the Illinois Interagency Coordinating Committee on Groundwater announced the formation of a subcommittee to help deal with groundwater issues on a statewide level. This will include an education component to provide information to private water well users throughout the state.

Since July 2001, 471 private wells in unincorporated Downers Grove have been analyzed for the presence of the solvents trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (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, but were not above the drinking water standard. In the Lisle area, 268 wells were sampled; 181 had detectable levels of TCE, 15 above MCL Investigation is continuing to determine the source or sources of the contamination.