A4 Saturday, August 15, 2009

NewsTribune www.newstrib.com

NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Take a look inside DePues Superfund cleanup
By Lindsay Welbers Princeton Reporter

DEPUE For about 80 years, runoff and waste from the New Jersey Zinc Plant operations were left polluting the area around the site and DePue. Almost a century later, the same building where the plants power was generated is being used to clean up the mess left behind. Steve Weberski, plant operator, has been working at the former New Jersey Zinc plant site to help clean the water in the area since 1997, he said. Were doing all the (Environmental Protection Agency) mandates and were doing it consistently, Weberski said. Machines at the site work 24 hours a day to process about 1 million gallons of groundwater and waste monthly, Weberski said. About 300,000 gallons of that are filtered out as a sludge thats largely made of lime, and the other 700,000 gallons are clean water that is sent to the nearby Illinois River. The finished water isnt drinkable, Weberski said. It would need to be disinfected, but it does meet EPA standards. Joe Abel, an engineer with Exxon Mobil, one of the owners of the site, said water is collected from the area and pumped to the centuryold brick building where the cleaning operations take place. Weberski said the collected water is placed into a reactor, a large holding tank where the water is mixed with lime so the heavy metals will become larger and easier to filter out. The water then moves to a clarifier, another tank about 20 feet deep where the metals can settle out. Then the clean water will overflow into another tank and the sludge can be removed entirely. The cleaned water is then treated with three more filter stages, Weberski said. First, it travels through a multimedia filter, which sends the water through seven layers of gravel and coal. It then travels through a vortex filter, which spins at a high rate of speed to remove further impurities, and finally through a finishing bag filter. The finished product is crystal clear, but still not up to EPA drinking water standards.

been planted in the area. The whole process of using plants as a filter is called phytoremediation, Abel said. Wildlife has returned to the area, as well. Weve got geese, ducks, deer, Abel said. Were having a mini war with some beavers. Beavers have been building dams in the area and every few days they have to be removed, he said. Abel said he expects more wildlife to return to the area as the site continues to be cleaned up and the human presence is lessened.
Eighty years of pollution

News Tribune photos/Lindsay Welbers

Above: Exxon Mobil workers are creating a wetland that will help to filter the water from the gypsum stack, once an extremely polluted pile of industrial waste, which is being cleaned up and is part of the DePue Superfund. The wetlands will create a home for wildlife and native plants, said engineer Joe Abel. Below: Plant operator at the water treatment facility Steve Weberski works cleaning the groundwater that has been polluted by the former New Jersey Zinc Plant which operated in DePue for over 80 years.

weeks. The operations at the plant site have been there since 1997 and are likely to remain for many more years, but they are temporary, Abel said. Eventually, the site is expected to be cleaned up well enough that nature should be able to take over and maintain itself.
Gypsum Stack

CBS Operations representative Mark Travers said they are experimenting with other options to clean up the site, including a Geotube. Geotubes hold thousands of gallons of untreated sludge and water

mixture and allow the water to naturally filter out and go right back into the ground. This is just a temporary experiment, Travers said. The project has been ongoing for about three

Up at the gypstack north of DePue, however, Abel said nature is doing most of the work to clean up the site, and humans are just lending a hand. When we get done and have a final remedy, nothing will get to the lake, Abel said. Gypsum was left over after fertilizer production at the plant. The gypstack refers to the area where the gypsum was dumped. About 50 acres are covered with gypsum, and this particular leg of the cleanup process is nearing completion, Abel said. Water that runs off the gypstack is collected at the south side of the hill and held in a clear pond, Abel said. The water then goes from the clear pond into a manmade wetland where The DePue Group is planting 30,000 cattails. After all that, the water has been naturally filtered and is reused to water the prairie grasses that have

The New Jersey Zinc Plant began operations in the early 20th century and operated well into the 1980s, making zinc, lithopone and fertilizer. During much of that time, there were no mandates in place to protect the environment or to regulate proper disposal of waste. Over the last decades of operations, the ownership of the site changed hands several times. By the end, New Jersey Zinc was a subsidiary company of Horsehead Industries, which went bankrupt in around 1990, Abel said. Other portions of the site were owned by Mobil Mining and Minerals, which made a fertilizer out of diamonium phosphate, and Gulf & Western which created lithopone, a type of paint. Mobil Mining and Mineral eventually became Exxon Mobil, and Gulf & Western was acquired by Paramount Communications, which is owned by Viacom. Abel explained that Viacom split into Viacom and CBS Operations in 2006. Despite President Barack Obama allotting less money for Superfund sites than recent presidents, DePues cleanup remains unaffected financially. We dont get taxes, Abel said. We even reimburse the states costs. The corporate owners of the site cover all expenses in the cleanup process, making the DePue Superfund a deviation from the norm. We dont know where its going to be five years down the road, Abel said. But we know where were going. Lindsay Welbers can be reached at (815) 872-1069 Ext. 13 or ntprinceton@ivnet.com.

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Highway, Lehigh Avenue, Korter Street, Portland Avenue, Watson Street and Magnall Street north on Spring Street stopping at Florence Street Washington School at 8:15 (to load Lincoln students), Lincoln School at 8:20, Washington School at 8:25 and Holy Family at 8:28. Route No. 2 Leaving Jonesville at 7:53 a.m., stopping at Shippingsport, lower Piety Hill, Vermilion Inn; going south on Columbia Avenue; stopping at Columbia Avenue; Sunset Boulevard, stopping at Swift Street and Swift and Clark streets, west on Clark stopping at Oakwood. Proceed to Arbor cul de sac. South on Oakwood Avenue, stopping at 103 Oakwood, stopping at Parkside Court, proceeding to Lincoln School at 8:15, Washington School at 8:20 and Holy Family at 8:25. Route No. 3 Leaving Rubios at 8 a.m., north on Columbia Avenue, making several stops along Columbia

Avenue and east on First Street, stopping at Kenosha, Woodland Avenue, Dale Avenue and Glen Avenue, south on Dale Avenue, west on Walnut Street, stopping at Dale Avenue, east on Mormon Street, stopping at upper Piety Hill and proceeding to Lincoln School at 8:15, Washington School at 8:20 and Holy Family at 8:25. Route 4 Leaving Walnut Trailer Court at 7:55, east on Clark Street stopping at Hayden Avenue, Kenosha Street and Woodland Avenue, east on Walnut north on Field Avenue stopping at Florence Street (Highland Apt.) Proceed down to California Avenue stopping at Siensas and Rodriguez. West on Porter Street stopping at Church Street, Woodland Avenue and Hayden Avenue, West on Florence Street stopping at Kenosha Street north on Columbia Avenue stopping at Morris Street and Mormon Street. Proceeding to Lincoln School at 8:15, Washington School at 8:20 and Holy Family at 8:25.

Lostant schedules Kindergarten Night

LOSTANT Kindergarten Night at Lostant for all incoming kindergarten students and their families is 6-6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17 in the Lostant Grade School kindergarten room. It is a casual meet and greet, a sneak peek at the school room and materials. The kindergarten teacher will read stories and answer questions. If unable to attend, call (815) 368-3392.

News Capsules
Town-wide sale offered at Lostant
LOSTANT Lostant town-wide garage sales will be 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. Ladies League will provide food in the fire station. Anyone interested in participating needs to pay $5 to Dianna Ioerger, 413 W. Second St., Lostant (815) 368-3589 or Jeanne Maggio or Linda Decker. Money goes toward advertisement and a map. Place, Hennepin. Members, spouses, friends and others are welcome. Cocktail hour will start at 6 p.m. You have your choice to order off the menu or chose the buffet. Contact Jim Whitaker at (815) 339-6330 or Norm Genslinger at (815) 8721533 by Monday, Aug. 17 for reservations.

Waltham school announces schedules

WALTHAM Waltham School announced the following schedule for the first days of school. Teacher Institute: Monday, Aug. 17. First day of pupil attendance: 8:35-11:40 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18 (Waltham) First day of pupil attendance: 8:50-11:55 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18 (Waltham South) Early dismissal at 2:05 p.m. Aug. 19 through Aug. 21 (Waltham) Early dismissal of 2:20 p.m. Aug. 19 through Aug. 21 (Waltham South) Regular dismissal time of 3:05 p.m. begins on Aug. 24 (Waltham) Regular dismissal time of 3:20 p.m. begins on Aug. 24 (Waltham South) Parents may direct questions to the school office personnel by calling (815) 667-4417.

Corn Boil offered

MENDOTA Gardeners Club of Mendota will have its annual corn boil at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18 in Mendota Civic Center, 1901 Tom Merwin Drive. In addition to corn, the menu includes grilled pork roast plus a variety of pot-luck side dishes and desserts. Guests include the clubs Sweet Corn Queen candidate and her family; winners of the June, July and August Gardens & Lawns of the Month and widows of deceased club members. For more information, call any committee member: Melina Stephenson, (815) 343-3999; Jim Armstrong, (815) 538-4086; Bob Walzer, (815) 343-4815 or Karen Marsink (815) 538-3314.

Hike scheduled
PRINCETON Friends of the Canal are holding their monthly Hike the Canal outing Sunday, Aug. 16. The hike will be on the feeder canal from Bridge 59 to Bridge 56. The group will meet at Bridge 56 on Route 92 four miles west of Route 40 at 1:30 p.m. to be shuttled to Bridge 59.

Park work planned

PRINCETON The upper level of City County Park will be closed Monday, Aug. 17 and Tuesday, Aug. 18 to complete shoulder work on the road. The lower level will remain closed indefinitely to clean up from the recent storms.

AMERICAS 12 MOST WANTED

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Homestead days vendors welcome

PRINCETON Any nonprofit group or organization interested in selling items during Homestead Festival Weekend, September 10-13, may pick up a vendor form in City Hall, 2 S. Main St., Princeton. There is no fee to set up. However, donations are welcome. Completed applications should be returned by Friday, Sept. 4. Vendors will receive a lanyard to wear during the Homestead Festival Weekend carrying the words Friend of the Homestead Festival 2009. They are asked to wear that lanyard while selling and presenting products and services. For more information, contact Jeff Fiegenschuh at (815) 875-2631.

Homestead play ticket sales start

PRINCETON Doris Hamilton, director of the Homestead Festival play Back to the 80sThe Totally Awesome Musical, announced tickets will go on sale Monday, Aug. 17 at AMCORE, Central, Centrue and Citizens banks. The play will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13 at Princeton High School. Dan Smith will narrate the story of this years play where he tells the story of his wife and their journey through their final senior year.

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English Mastiff

Pool hours change

HENNEPIN Hennepin Park District will begin its fall hours Monday, Aug. 17. To receive a copy of the hours, e-mail the pool at hennepinparkdistrict@mchsi .com.

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Mini Schnauzer

Puggle

Lhasanese

Woodworkers schedule event

HENNEPIN Woodcrafters Unlimited Associations annual picnic this year will be Thursday, Aug. 20 at Rays

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