Radioactive waste from a Rare Earths Facility that operated in West Chicago from 1932 to 1973 spread into surrounding neighborhoods. The facility produced rare earth elements along with radioactive materials including thorium, radium, and uranium. Before health risks were well understood, residents and contractors used the waste as free fill material, and wind carried contamination further across the area. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL), which guides federal cleanup priorities, in 1990.
Kerr-McGee purchased and ran the nearby facility from 1967 until 1973. After its successor company Tronox filed for bankruptcy in January 2009, cleanup responsibility passed to the West Chicago Environmental Response Trust. By April 2014, workers had removed about 111,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil from more than 676 residential properties. At that time, only one property still required cleanup, with completion scheduled for July 2014. The EPA continues to accept inquiries about specific properties and may conduct additional sampling if new information comes in. If contamination above cleanup standards is found, the Trust is responsible for addressing it.
Cleanup was organized into operable units, which are distinct portions of a site addressed separately. The Record of Decision for Operable Unit 1 was issued on September 29, 2003, selecting no further action as the remedy. Physical construction of the cleanup is confirmed complete across the entire site. The site reached "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status on September 27, 2016, meaning all cleanup goals have been met with no unacceptable risks remaining.
Human exposure at the site is confirmed under control, and cleanup is targeting unrestricted use standards. Once cleanup is fully complete, the EPA states no remaining environmental risks will be associated with the site. Residential use continues in the area today, and the Superfund Redevelopment Program works with the community to support return of the site to productive use.
Community members with questions can reach the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. The EPA's Superfund database also holds 145 administrative records and other documents related to the site's investigation and cleanup history.
