The Sandoval Zinc Company ran a zinc smelter in Sandoval, Illinois for 85 years before closing in 1985. Smelting produced metal emissions and ash that spread contamination across the surrounding community. The company also gave smelting waste to residents and the village for use in roads, driveways, and other surfaces, spreading it even further. The site was added to the federal National Priorities List in September 2011, which flags it as a priority for cleanup under the Superfund program.
Eighteen contaminants of concern have been identified at the site, found in soil, groundwater, or both. These include metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, and zinc, plus chloroform and cyanide. Testing also found antimony, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc in nearby wetlands above EPA screening levels, and lead, arsenic, and zinc in residential yards above screening levels as well. EPA determined that soil contaminants including lead, arsenic, and zinc, along with groundwater contaminants including hexavalent chromium, lead, manganese, arsenic, and cadmium, pose unacceptable risks to people. Human exposure is not currently under control. Groundwater migration has been stabilized and is no longer discharging unacceptably to surface water, but physical construction of the cleanup is not complete.
EPA has already taken several cleanup actions. Between 2011 and 2012, crews removed lead-impacted soil from eight residential properties where lead topped 1,000 milligrams per kilogram. A second removal action from September to November 2017 addressed seven more residences, a daycare facility, and two schools. In total, about 1,296 tons of lead-impacted soil and debris were removed and disposed of as special waste. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1986, so all cleanup work has been funded with federal money.
EPA completed its contamination investigation in 2022 and issued a cleanup decision in September 2022. That decision calls for groundwater monitoring, an engineered cap, onsite consolidation and containment, a soil cover, institutional controls, and offsite disposal through excavation. Detailed engineering design work began in July 2023. The final cleanup action is estimated to start between June and August 2027.
Community members can stay involved by watching for contractor outreach. EPA contractors are sampling yards across Sandoval to test for lead and other heavy metals. Contractors will contact property owners before accessing land, and EPA will mail results to owners after lab testing is complete. If elevated contamination is found, EPA will follow up to discuss cleanup options. Site documents are available at the Sandoval Branch Library at 118 East Commercial in Sandoval, reachable at 618-247-3873. Residents with questions can also contact EPA directly.
