| Abstract |
The Cross Brothers Pail site is a former pail and drum recycling operation located in Pembroke Township, Kankakee County, Illinois. The 20-acre site, approximately half of which was used for waste disposal, is in a semi-residential area interspersed with small farms. Recycling operations, which involved draining empty drums and pails containing paints, dyes, and inks on the ground, resulted in the formation of a waste residue layer approximately 6 inches thick over 10 acres of the property. In addition crushed pails and drums were buried in 10 trenches located around the site. Operations continued at the site from 1961 until 1980 when the State closed the site and ordered a cleanup. An Initial Remedial Measure was signed in 1985 which required clearing the disposal area of all vegetation and removing 6,438 tons of contaminated surficial soils, 542 drums containing wastes, and 572 empty drums. Ground water contamination is the principal threat at the site. The primary contaminants of concern affecting the soil and ground water are VOCs including benzene, PCE, TCE, toluene and xylenes; and other organics including PCBs. |
