The Bautsch-Gray Mine sits in Jo Daviess County, Galena, Illinois. It operated from 1944 to 1975, extracting lead and zinc ore processed at the Gray Mill. EPA added it to the National Priorities List in September 2012. The site is now in active cleanup, with remedial work underway but construction not yet complete.
The main contamination comes from mine tailings and waste piles left behind after the mill closed. Erosion spread those materials into soil, groundwater, and surface water. Contaminants found in soil include lead, arsenic, cadmium, zinc, copper, aluminum, antimony, chromium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, selenium, and vanadium. Tailings have migrated toward residential properties, wetlands, and fisheries, including toward Smallpock Creek.
EPA has taken several cleanup steps already. Between 2010 and 2012, crews removed mine tailings and contaminated soil from a neighboring residential property. Stormwater retention ponds were built on the tailings pile, and a drainage ditch now diverts runoff from the surrounding watershed. An interim cleanup plan signed in April 2020 focuses on a 34.2-acre mine tailings pile, a settling pond west of it, and contaminated soil along the overland flow route to Smallpock Creek. Remedial action began in September 2020. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use and soil disturbance on the property, and zoning restrictions prevent residential uses.
The site is divided into operable units. Soil work, covered by Operable Unit 1, is ongoing with completion estimated between May 2027 and February 2028. Operable Unit 2 addresses groundwater and ecological concerns. That investigation is expected to wrap up between June and August 2027, with a cleanup decision and remedial action to follow. Human exposure is not yet fully under control across the entire site. Groundwater migration status remains uncertain due to insufficient data. The most recent five-year review was completed on October 28, 2025, and the site has not yet reached ready-for-anticipated-reuse status.
Community members can get involved through the ongoing five-year review process, which gives the public a chance to share observations and concerns with EPA. Site records are available at the Galena Public Library at 601 South Bench Street. The EPA Community Involvement Coordinator and the Remedial Project Manager are available for questions.
