EPA Announces Demolition and Other Options for Asbestos-Contaminated Site in Hillsboro, IL

On May 27, 2009, representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) met with residents in the Hillsboro, IL area to present plans for the demolition and removal of asbestos and lead from the former Eagle Zinc property.

The 132-acre site operated from 1912 until it was closed in 2003. Eagle Zinc produced zinc oxide and other products, and 15 separate piles of materials and contaminated debris were left on the property. The Eagle Zinc site was added to the EPA National Priority List in 2007.

The EPA presented recommendations to Hillsboro residents, including the demolition of the buildings on the site and burying most of the debris, at an estimated cost of $1.9 million. Should debris be moved from the site, the cleanup costs would increase by approximately $1 million.

The EPA project manager assured area residents that daily testing has revealed that no contaminants from the site were leaching into the city’s water supply, and the only risk to those in the area would be to those who trespass at the site.

Exposure to asbestos is known to cause serious illnesses such as mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer or asbestosis.