Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the removal of the soil portion of the Wauconda Sand & Gravel Superfund site in Lake County, Illinois from the National Priorities List (NPL). EPA deletes sites- or parts of sites- from the NPL only when no further cleanup is required.

Under EPA's supervision, the responsible parties have addressed soil contamination, upgraded the leachate collection system and installed gas vents. More than 400 local residents have been connected to the Wauconda public water system. The groundwater portion of the site remains on the NPL and operation and maintenance, land and groundwater use restrictions, and groundwater monitoring will continue there. 

The former sand and gravel quarry operated two landfills spanning 70 acres from the 1950s to 1978. The entire site was closed and covered with a layer of clay, soil, and vegetation in 1978. Sampling later showed that groundwater was contaminated with heavy metals, volatile organic compounds and pesticides.  

The NPL is a list of hazardous waste sites eligible for long-term remedial investigation and remedial action (cleanup) under the Superfund program. It includes the nation’s most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination.

Visit EPA’s website for more information.

Original source can be found here.