Old American Zinc Plant

Overview

The Old American Zinc Plant is a 132-acre former zinc smelting facility in Fairmont City, Illinois. It operated from 1913 to 1953 and left behind slag on the property. Some of that slag was later used as fill material in surrounding areas. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in April 2016, but investigations began as early as 1994.

The site is contaminated with five metals: arsenic, cadmium, lead, manganese, and zinc. These contaminants appear in groundwater, soil, and solid waste. EPA has determined they pose an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment. Human exposure to contamination is not yet under control. An unsafe level of contamination has been detected, and people could reasonably be exposed. Groundwater migration, however, is under control. EPA has confirmed that contaminated groundwater is not discharging to surface water at unacceptable levels, and monitoring will continue.

EPA finalized a cleanup plan in September 2012. It calls for excavating contaminated soil, consolidating and capping material on the former facility property, monitoring groundwater, and placing institutional controls on future land use. In 2018, EPA conducted an emergency removal action at roughly 65 residential properties with very high lead and arsenic levels. Current work includes digging up contaminated soil from residential yards, backfilling with clean material, restoring properties, and placing excavated material under a protective cover on the former facility grounds. A 2019 explanation of significant differences extended the cleanup timeline, modified institutional controls, and adjusted project costs. The most recent five-year review was completed on May 28, 2024. Full construction is not yet complete, and the site has not been removed from the National Priorities List.

Community members can review site records at two local locations: Fairmont City Village Hall and Fairmont City Library Center. The EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator fields questions from residents, and the Remedial Project Manager oversees the technical cleanup work.