DePue/New Jersey Zinc/Mobil Chemical Corp.

Overview

The DePue/New Jersey Zinc/Mobil Chemical Corp. site covers 950 acres in Bureau County, Illinois. Zinc smelting began there in 1903, and phosphate fertilizer production followed in 1967. The site was added to the National Priorities List in 1999, and EPA took over as lead agency in 2019 after state-level negotiations stalled.

Metals are the main concern. Contaminants include zinc, lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese, and others found in soil, sediment, and groundwater. Contamination has spread to Lake DePue, a state wildlife refuge and fishery, affecting fish, wildlife, and wetlands. Human exposure is not currently under control, and contaminated groundwater has not been stabilized.

The site is divided into six operable units. Contaminated sediment was removed from the South Ditch in 2005, and that area's permanent cleanup will be folded into the Lake DePue remedy. A phosphogypsum stack has been capped with two feet of soil and vegetation, with a solar panel field on top and a treatment wetland managing water discharge. A water treatment plant built between 1995 and 2000 removes metals from groundwater before discharging to the Illinois River. For residential properties, 657 have been sampled since 2020 and 513 required cleanup. As of the latest update, 481 have been cleaned, with work continuing in 2025. EPA is working to access 29 remaining properties. All sampling and cleanup is free to property owners. Investigations for the Gypsum Stack, Plant Site, Lake DePue, and related areas are still ongoing, with decisions expected between late 2026 and late 2028.

Institutional controls including zoning restrictions are in place to limit incompatible land uses. The Village completed a reuse plan in 2004, and as of December 2024, 21 on-site businesses employed 125 people and generated roughly four million dollars in annual sales. Lake DePue hosts National Power Boat Racing Association national races each July.

Community members can request free soil sampling and get cleanup questions answered by contacting Remedial Project Manager Rose Guardino at guardino.rose@epa.gov or (312) 886-2407, or Community Involvement Coordinator Meshach Padilla at Padilla.Meshach@epa.gov or (312) 886-1070. Site documents, newsletters, and the Community Involvement Plan are available online and at the Selby Township Library District, located at 101 Depot in DePue, Illinois. A fifth five-year review was completed in June 2025.