The Petersen Sand & Gravel site covers 120 acres north of Libertyville in Lake County, Illinois. It was used for sand and gravel mining starting in 1952. Between 1955 and 1958, the company illegally dumped non-hazardous wastes, solvents, and paint wastes in buried drums on the property. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency ordered the site closed in 1971 after discovering the illegal dumping. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in June 1986, making it an official Superfund site requiring federal cleanup oversight.
The dumping contaminated groundwater, surface water, and sediments with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). VOCs are chemical solvents that evaporate easily and can move through soil into water. PCBs and PAHs are industrial chemicals linked to health concerns at high exposure levels. Contamination levels at the site were assessed as low, and contaminants were not found to be migrating beyond the site.
Cleanup work removed hundreds of drums, 2,600 yards of contaminated soil, and 26,000 gallons of surface water. A remedial investigation began in October 1984, and a final remedy was selected in September 1988. The selected remedy for the one operable unit at the site was No Further Action, meaning no additional work was required beyond what had already been completed. Construction was finished in September 1989. EPA deleted the site from the NPL in February 1991, confirming that cleanup goals had been met. The site reached sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in June 2006, meaning all cleanup goals for current and future land uses have been achieved with no unacceptable risks and all required controls are in place.
The Lake County Forest Preserve District acquired the site in 1979 and transformed it into a public recreation area. In 2002, the quarry was developed into Independence Grove Forest Preserve, featuring a 115-acre lake, education center, amphitheater, and gift shop. Visitors now boat, swim, and enjoy beaches there. The Forest Preserve District continues to monitor surface water and sediments at the site. Human exposure is under control, and EPA has determined there are no unacceptable human exposure pathways at the site.
Community members interested in the site's history or ongoing monitoring can access key documents and records through EPA's Superfund records system. No administrative records have been separately published for this site, but the EPA Superfund program maintains information on the site's cleanup history and current status.
