Submitted photoThis undated photo shows the old manufactured gas plant in Galesburg. This view is looking to the northwest; it apparently was taken from the vicinity of the gas holder that used to sit on property now occupied by Hein Construction. The vehicle on the street in the foreground is headed west on Ferris Street, in roughly the location where the entrance to the former McCabe Scrap Metals operation gate is. The former manufactured gas plant occupied the eastern portion (right side of this picture) of the property. The large structure in the right foreground is the above-ground gas holder. The plant in the background with the dark stack is the former electric generating plant.
Ameren to clean up former scrap yard
Gas plant at site contaminated soil with coal tar
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
GALESBURG - Ameren is developing a plan to clean up contamination at the site of the former McCabe Scrap Metals and Galesburg manufactured gas plant.The 2.5 acre site, between 151 W. Ferris St. and 56 N. Cedar St., was a former manufactured gas plant that opened in 1861 and closed in the 1940s. At the time, the gas was used for street lights and, if you were rich, home heating and lighting. Manufactured gas, and the plant, went by the wayside after the higher quality, cheaper natural gas rose to prominence.
The plant worked by heating coal and oil to a "red hot heat" inside closed, air tight ovens. The coal would then give off gas, which the companies would collect, run through a purification process and then distribute through lines to streets and homes.
However, the process created a by-product called coal tar. Some of the coal tar was sold to other companies for use, but some leaked from the tanks on the grounds and is now deep underground. Because much of the ground under the old plant is sand, it allows the contaminants to move and if not removed, it will continue to spread.
There is also a small amount of contamination from the former scrap yard, though most was caused by the gas plant.
"Folks back then didn't have the environmental sensitivity, regulations or knowledge that chemicals could be harmful," said Steve Burns, consulting environmental scientist for Ameren.
Ameren owns the power substation on the property, but does not own anything else. However, because of potential liability and "environmental concerns" Ameren is working with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency through its voluntary cleanup program. The company does about two or three of these clean-up projects per year. Some of the area has already been investigated, with soil samples taken and ground water collected.
While there is not a direct effect on anyone in the community - there is no immediate health risk because no one is being exposed to the contamination, which is far underground and the ground water is not used as part of the city's drinking source - the IEPA said this clean up would be beneficial.
"If someone wanted to put in a tall building in this location, they would be able to dig the foundation," said Stanley Black, a community response analyst with IEPA. Added Leigh Morris, an Ameren spokesman, "If the community has a reputation that any site found to have contaminants is cleaned up, it is seen as progressive. That's good for the quality of life and economic development - people want to work and live in communities that are progressive."
After the analysis work is completed, the IEPA will review it and provide oversight. Ameren has already done some of this investigation, and "substantial" clean up will be needed. However, the company still needs to investigate the area east and west of the property because, as Burns said, "contamination doesn't respect property lines." That work, drilling for soil samples, will take place in January.
Therefore, it will likely be late 2008 before Ameren and the IEPA known the extent of the contamination and the cost to clean it. Meaning it will be late 2009 before any cleanup work begins, and that could take as long as a year. Ameren will be entirely responsible for the cost of the site remediation and had no estimate for how much that would be right now.
Ameren and IEPA officials met last week with the city and will hold open houses in the city before the work begins.
"The whole premise is to make sure no one is surprised when they see us drilling," Burns said.
Quick Facts
- Ameren is investigating chemical contamination at the former manufactured gas plant site at 151 W. Ferris St. and 56 N. Cedar St.
- The plant produced gas by heating coal and oil. The by-product was coal tar, a thick black or dark brown material with a tar-like consistency, which can be harmful to people's health in some circumstances.
- While coal tar was found at the site, it is not a current health risk to residents because it is deep underground.
- Because Ameren owns the substation at the location, it is responsible for any clean up of contamination.
- The company is voluntarily investigating the site and will perform and the remediation as part of its agreement with current site owners and IEPA, which has oversight of the process.
