July 27, 2023

Duckworth, Durbin Announce $1.6 Million To Clean Up Beloit Corporation Superfund Hazardous Waste Site

 

[CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will receive $1,681,556 through the U.S. EPA’s Superfund State Political Subdivision and Indian Tribe Site Specific Cooperative Agreements to conduct remedial actions at the Beloit Corporation Superfund hazardous waste site, which is listed on the National Priorities List of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan.

“Every American has a right to clean water—no matter their zip code,” Duckworth said. “Eliminating contaminated sites is critical to helping protect the health of children and families, and it is also important to help spur development, job creation and economic growth for affected communities. As a co-founder of the Senate’s Environmental caucus, I’ll keep working to ensure the health and safety of our communities is protected and upheld.”

“Illinois, like many other states, has a rich industrial history,” said Durbin. “However, this history has often come at a cost – the legacy of contaminated sites that pose significant risks to public health and the environment. These sites have left behind a toxic footprint that affects our air, water and soil, endangering the very essence of our communities. The importance of this federal funding cannot be overstated, as it represents our urgency in addressing environmental threats and protecting the health and safety of every resident in Illinois.”

The Beloit Corporation was a manufacturer of paper-making machines located in Rockton, Illinois. Volatile Organic Chemicals have been discovered on-site and in nearby residential wells. To ensure the homeowners were not drinking contaminated water, carbon treatment units were installed in homes in the Blackhawk Acres Subdivision that had concentrations of trichloroethylene exceeding drinking water standards.

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