A mixed rural, residential and industrial area where 14 private residences have levels of benzene above or near the drinking water standard of 5 parts per billion. Bottled water was provided to the residents during the duration of removal until and alternate water source could be provided by drilling replacement residential wells.

Location
The town is made up of 40  residential homes in Wedron, LaSalle, Illinois. The town is unincorporated, so there is no local government, water, or sewer department.  All of the homes and industrial locations use private wells and septic systems.  The town borders the Wedron Silica Plant now owned by Fairmont Minerals and Lockheed Martin formerly, which operates a silica mine, drying and screening process, laboratory, and Technisand plant that coats sand with a phenolic resin.  This coated sand is used in Hydraulic Fracturing (fracking) of natural gas and oil wells.  The Wedron and Dayton Grain facility operated along right of Way owned by Illinois Railtracks and Three underground storage tanks have been removed since August of 2012 along the right of way.  An Amoco Oil (British Petroleum) bulk terminal operated along the Illinois RR Right of Way and was located at the north end of WD Grain facility.  The Hoxsey Store and Gas station operated as a gasoline filling station into the late 1970's when the store burned to the ground.  IEPA has been investigating the soil and ground water contamination at the Hoxsey property.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat

The chemical constituents that have been identified include: Benzene, Ethylbenzene, toluene, xylenes (BTEX) and other volatile organics have been detected in private wells above the Maximum Concentration Levels (MCL's)

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
The site investigation is being conducted under the order began in November 2013 at the Wedron Silica and Technisand property and on the Illinois Railtracks property and BP (formerly Amoco Bulk Terminal).  The investigations have been completed and final reports are being reviewed by USEPA.  Wedron Silica has not yet submitted the final report and this is due when all the results are received and finalized.

IEPA has completed their investigation on the Hoxsey property and the final report is posted in the document section of the web site.

In November and December of 2013, EPA conducted additional rounds of residential water sampling.  Some of the sampling was done at the request of residents when they became aware of groundwater contamination in the vicinity, and some was done to verify that filters or alternate water supplies were effective at delivering clean water.

In December 2013, EPA oversaw the investigation of additional sub-surface anomalies along the Illinois Railraod right of way.  The investigation consisted of excavating identified anomalies and sampling sub-surface soil at agreed upon locations.  EPA collected split soil samples from some of the intervals sampled by the Illinois Railroad contractors.

In January and February of 2014, EPA oversaw the investigation centered around the former Amoco bulk plant, which is now owned by BP, who led the investigation.  The investigation consisted sampling sub-surface soil at agreed upon locations.  EPA collected split soil samples from some of the intervals sampled by the BP contractors.

In March and April of 2014, EPA oversaw the installation of four monitoring wells north of the Wedron Silica property, and EPA also sampled these wells.  EPA also sampled IEPA and EPA installed monitoring wells.

In May of 2014, EPA oversaw additional investigation of a location on the Wedron Silica property where AST's had been located.  Previous sampling indicated detectable VOC contamination at the locations, and this part of the investigation centered on further delineation.  EPA collected a split sample during the work.

Also in May of 2014, EPA oversaw the investigation of sub-surface soil and temporary monitoring well sampling at the Technisand property.  

Finally, in May 2014, EPA connected four residences that use the same well to a carbon filtration system.  The water at these residences have detectable benzene levels very near, but not above the EPA MCL.  The carbon filter will clean the water, and EPA will continue to monitor benzene levels before and after the carbon filters.  

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

2.2.1.2 Next Steps 

·        Perform oversight of PRP activities 

  2.2.2 Issues

Other residents of Wedron are concerned that their wells will become contaminated and want to have their wells sampled yearly and the opportunity to hook into an alternate water supply .  After this date LaSalle County Health Department will collect private well samples and will utilize the IEPA lab in Springfield, Illinois for the analysis.