The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has commenced an asbestos cleanup operation at the Illinois Cabinet Co. site in Rockford, Illinois. The agency's crews will remove asbestos-contaminated debris from the defunct company site located at 2525 11th St. and transport the waste to an EPA-approved facility. The project is expected to take approximately four months.
The EPA will dismantle unstable buildings and spray water on debris to control dust. Air monitoring will also be conducted to ensure that asbestos fibers do not leave the cleanup area.
During the cleanup activities, a temporary fence will close off the sidewalk outside the site on 11th Street. Residents may experience increased traffic and noise around the area.
From 1906 to 1973, Illinois Cabinet Co. manufactured wooden furniture at this location. Since then, it has primarily been used as a storage warehouse for various companies or remained mostly vacant. In 2023, a salvage company hired by the property owner extracted valuable building materials, severely weakening the five-story building’s structure.
A fire in December 2023 caused extensive damage across the 1.6-acre site, leading the city of Rockford to condemn the building. Earlier this year, Rockford requested EPA assistance for site cleanup after confirming that materials containing asbestos were present among fire debris piles. Evidence of trespassing and vandalism was also found, posing a risk of asbestos-containing materials moving off-site due to building collapse, weather conditions, or trespassers.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral known for its fibrous form that makes it strong and heat-resistant; it was historically used in many products and remains present in older homes and buildings.
Breathing fibers from old asbestos products can cause health issues such as shortness of breath and persistent coughs; long-term exposure is linked to mesothelioma and lung cancer. Consequently, EPA has banned most uses of asbestos.
For more information, please visit EPA’s website.
