Parsons Casket Hardware Co. operated as a decorative metal fittings manufacturer in Belvidere, Illinois from the early 1900s until 1982. Poor chemical storage and spills left behind serious contamination in both soil and groundwater across the 6-acre property and a surrounding area of at least 75 acres. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1987, which means the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has committed to overseeing a full cleanup.
EPA has identified 41 contaminants of concern at the site. Groundwater holds chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene, metals including lead, chromium, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, and barium, and other chemicals like toluene and phthalates. Soil contamination includes arsenic, cadmium, nickel, lead, chromium, trichloroethene, toluene, dichloromethane, pentachlorophenol, and polycyclic aromatic compounds. The nearby Kishwaukee River was not affected.
When Illinois EPA inspected the site in 1982, workers found 120 hazardous waste drums, many dented and leaking, plus tanks holding roughly 4,800 gallons of waste and an unlined lagoon with about 166,500 gallons of liquid waste and 1,230 cubic yards of sludge. The Illinois EPA removed waste in 1985. Soil cleanup ran from December 1998 through May 2002 and included excavating contaminated soil and sludge, removing disposal wells, and restricting site access. Since then, EPA has monitored groundwater and completed regular five-year reviews, with the most recent finished in May 2022.
Human exposure at the site is currently under control. Municipal drinking water wells No. 4 and No. 6 serving Belvidere show no impact from site contamination. However, groundwater migration is not yet under control. The contaminated plume continues to move, physical construction of the cleanup is incomplete, and the site is not ready for anticipated use. EPA selected a groundwater cleanup plan in September 2005 and began designing it in June 2011. That design involves injecting material into the contaminated groundwater to boost natural breakdown of the contaminants. A fourth work area focused on the source area is estimated to begin investigation between May and July 2028. The next five-year review is estimated for May through July 2027.
Community members can contact EPA directly with questions. EPA contractors are conducting well redevelopment and groundwater sampling near the site at 424 Fairview Avenue, so residents may see sampling personnel, vehicles, and equipment in the area during testing. For public questions, residents can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
