Press Release - Thursday, April 24, 2008
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Illinois EPA approves remedial work at the Forest at the Palisades in Grafton
SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott has announced the Agency has issued a No Further Remediation Letter to "The Forest at the Palisades," demonstrating that it has completed the necessary remedial work on approximately 170 acres located east of Grafton. This clears the way for planned redevelopment to commence.
The Forest at the Palisades entered the Agency's Site Remediation Program to ensure that the site meets state cleanup standards. The Illinois EPA reviews and approves technical reports submitted by the applicant before issuing a No Further Remediation Letter.
The site is comprised mainly of a wooded bluff adjacent to the Mississippi River immediately east of downtown Grafton. The property was formerly used by the Illinois Powder Manufacturing Company and the American Cyanamid Company, which historically manufactured ammonium nitrate, nitroglycerin and dynamite from 1907-1960. This left behind the contaminants manganese and lead, which are public health concerns.
Part of the site is currently being used for the Raging Rivers Water Park, but future plans include construction of a hotel and additional water themed recreational activities. The No Further Remediation Letter allows the property to be used for residential purposes, which would also include recreational purposes.
The surrounding 429 acre area is also owned by the Applicant and has been established as a conservation easement.
Remedial actions at the site included two rounds of investigation, the first being an investigation of the former Illinois Powder Manufacturing site by the Illinois EPA in 1990 in conjunction with construction of the Raging Rivers Water Park. Additional investigations included those in conjunction with SRP enrollment in 2007. The only restriction cited in Illinois EPA's No Further Remediation Letter was to prevent installation of private drinking wells on the property.
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