One of the challenges with the property is its history as a gas station and repair facility. The property had two underground storage tanks (USTs). The first filling station and UST were at the western portion of the property between 1930 and 1940. The current building for automotive repair services was built in 1950. The filling station operation was moved at that time to the middle of the property and more USTs were installed. Additionally, the building had four in-ground hydraulic lifts. When USTs leak, releasing their contents into the surrounding environment, they are known as leaking underground storage tanks (LUSTs). LUSTs sites and data are reported to the Illinois State Fire Marshal, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and IEPA.
The original UST was removed in November 2000 and LUST Incident No. 20002263 was reported. Approximately 55 cubic yards of soil was excavated as part of remediation. The IEPA issued an NFR letter of the incident with no land use restrictions.
The second filling station, used from 1950 to 2014, was removed in May 2014 and LUST Incident No. 20140459 was reported. Approximately 861.59 cubic yards of backfill were excavated and confirmatory soil samples identified “minor residual contamination.” To date, this LUST incident has not been issued regulatory closure by the IEPA (No NFR letter has been issued)
A portion of the property was enrolled by the Village into the Site Remediation Program (SRP) on August 17, 2015, to obtain a NFR letter from ground contamination of site activities associated with the automotive uses (i.e. hydraulic lifts, waste oil tanks inside the building, and supplemental piping that were part of the garage facility). True North, a consultation firm specializing in environmental engineering, was retained by the Village to perform a limited subsurface environmental investigation. This was to assess the recognized environmental conditions (RECs) identified during the Phase I environmental site assessment prepared by True North in February 2024. To date, the SRP listing remains active and has not been issued regulatory closure by the IEPA.
The Village and the former owner recently submitted corrective action plans to IEPA for the active LUST and SRP incidents and are expecting a response by the end of April. Staff is confident that the site can be restored as a public green space and that the site does not need any hard space engineering for a barrier between the public and the soil.
Take-Aways from Environmental Work
- There is no impact on neighboring properties.
- Asphalt can be removed. Some may have to be disposed as “special waste”.
- At least 24 inches of soil will to be removed and replaced with Tiered Approach to Corrective Action Objects (TACO) dirt. TACO is an IEPA term.This soil exchange will serve as both an engineered barrier between the public and potential contaminants as well as a provide good black dirt for optimal growth of grasses, plants, shrubs, and trees.
- A geo-barrier may be required at specific locations. For example, there may be spots where after removing 24 inches of soil there may be a need for a barrier. The barrier is not for vapors but preventing for ingestion of the soil. A geo-barrier is another type of engineered barrier.
- Ground water use restrictions may be required.
- Highway Authority Agreement may be required for has gone into Central Rd.
Groundwater use restrictions and Highway Authority Agreements are all called administrative controls, and the Village has provided them to many private properties over the years. The Village has issued ground water use restrictions and entered in Highway Authority Agreements on numerous occasions for former gas station properties.
