Agreement Reached To Remove Thorium From Kress Creek And DuPage River

Wheaton, February 17, 2004 - DuPage County, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, the city of West Chicago, the city of Warrenville and the West Chicago Park District announced that a conceptual agreement has been reached between Kerr-McGee and the United States for the removal of thorium residuals from Kress Creek and the West Branch of the DuPage River.

In fall of 2003, the U.S. government and Kerr-McGee came to a non-binding Agreement In Principle. The Agreement in Principle describes the actions these parties intend to take to investigate, clean up and restore the creek and river to finalize the detailed cleanup and restoration plans that Kerr-McGee negotiated with representatives of the local communities for protection of the public health and the environment.

A cornerstone of those plans is the cleanup of the creek and river to the same standards as those used in the cleanup of West Chicago residential sites, Reed-Keppler Park and the Kerr-McGee Rare Earths Facility. The project’s scope will include the restoration of the excavated areas to stable and ecologically improved conditions acceptable to DuPage County, the Forest Preserve District, the West Chicago Park District, the city of West Chicago, the city of Warrenville and other property owners. The restoration process will include the planting of native species of plants, reforestation of upland habitats, wetland creations and the restoration of aquatic habitats for improved fisheries.

Although the entire project is expected to take up to five years, it is being staged into a series of segments with the expectation that each segment will be completed within a given construction season. These projects will involve removal of thorium residuals from the banks and streambeds and transport of the excavated materials to the Rare Earths Facility with shipment to a licensed disposal site in Utah. The project will be conducted under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Emergency anagement Agency and local governmental oversight.

The U.S. government is finalizing plans with Kerr-McGee officials to ensure the safest cleanup possible and restoration of the creek and river. By this spring, Kerr-McGee will submit final contamination characterization data to the U.S. EPA. At the same time and under the review of the U.S. EPA, Kerr-McGee will prepare a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study that explains the extent of the contamination and evaluates a range of cleanup options. After that, the U.S. EPA will issue a recommended cleanup approach for public comment. Once the comments are considered, the U.S. EPA will issue a Record of Decision that selects the final cleanup plan for the creek and river. After the Record of Decision is issued, a proposed consent agreement subject to citizen participation may be filed in federal court this summer.

The milestone agreement is an example of goodwill and common purpose between government and private entities that work together to achieve a protective goal. U. S. Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert, the U. S. EPA, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the epartment of Justice, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the IEMA’s Department of Nuclear Safety and each of the local governmental entities all played essential roles in reaching this agreement.

DuPage County Chairman Robert Schillerstrom and county board members, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County President D. Dewey Pierotti Jr. and District commissioners and municipality leaders have helped lead the fight. “I applaud the excellent progress being made in the endeavor to clean up Kress Creek and the West Branch of the DuPage River,” stated Schillerstrom. “This historic agreement will protect the public health and safety of DuPage County residents as well as protect a fragile ecosystem unique to the creek, river and environs. All parties involved, including federal and local government officials, county agencies and Kerr-McGee, should be commended for their efforts to move the agreement forward.”

Schillerstrom also attributes the support and involvement of Speaker Hastert’s office as being crucial to the restoration agreement. “I am especially grateful to Speaker Dennis Hastert for his involvement in this project. I believe we will achieve our shared vision for an ecologically improved and restored creek and river.”

Forest Preserve District President Pierotti and fellow commissioners have championed the protection, restoration and stewardship of natural resources in forest preserves along the West Branch of the DuPage River. According to Pierotti, “Though the West Branch of the DuPage River will be disturbed during the excavation process, getting the thorium out is essential to protecting the river’s long-term health. Restoration that is to occur will make the river’s ecology even better than it is currently.” Of the benefits of the thorium removal to a conservative cleanup standard, Pierotti continued, “The cleanup presents a unique opportunity for the Forest Preserve District and homeowners to create a long-term vision that will perpetuate the river’s beauty. Significant restoration and enhancement of 8.5 miles of the West Branch of the DuPage River corridor along three forest preserves can occur.”

Forest Preserve District President Pierotti also expressed his appreciation to Speaker Hastert, stating, “Speaker Dennis Hastert was instrumental in bringing the parties together to achieve an agreement that will benefit not only the people in the affected areas but also all of the residents of DuPage County.”

West Chicago Mayor Michel Fortner echoed the thanks to Speaker Hastert and praised the West Chicago City Council and the residents of West Chicago, saying, “They have all worked tirelessly with the other representatives to realize the cleanup of the creek and river, as well as the sites within West Chicago. The city’s support and willingness to continue to allow use of the Rare Earths Facility as a shipment point have been essential to the successes of reaching this cleanup.”

Mayor Vivian Lund of Warrenville added, “The city of Warrenville has been monitoring the negotiations relative to the river cleanup and will continue to work with all parties to assure the interests of our community are protected to the greatest extent possible.”

“The agreement is an important step toward resolving the four West Chicago Superfund sites,” said U.S. EPA Regional Administrator Tom Skinner. “It required cooperation by all of the parties and has created an excellent result.”

Skinner also reported progress at the West Chicago Sewage Treatment Plant site. “This past fall, Kerr-McGee began to excavate a projected 4,000 cubic yards of thorium-contaminated soil at the facility. The project, including restoration work, should wrap up this summer.” The other two Kerr-McGee Superfund sites include a $33 million cleanup at Reed-Keppler Park completed in 2000 and a nearly complete multi-year effort to clean up about 700 residential properties. In addition, Kerr-McGee has almost completed removal of impacted materials from the Rare Earths Facility.

The Thorium Action Group, a local citizens’ advocacy group, laid the foundation for this agreement when they first brought the issue to the attention of the public over twenty years ago. These concerned citizens’ initiative is to work closely with the other parties to secure cleanup of the creek and river.