Weeks after finding elevated levels of an industrial solvent in dozens of residential wells near the Lockformer Co. in Lisle, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has turned over its findings to the state attorney general’s office to determine if the company has violated any laws.
The move comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by adjacent landowners who say their wells have been tainted with trichlroethylene, or TCE, a degreaser and possible carcinogen used by the company to clean metals.
Testing by the IEPA last month at 48 homes near the plant found TCE in 34 private wells, with amounts at nine homes exceeding levels considered acceptable by the federal government. A separate study by the plaintiff’s attorneys found traces of TCE in 21 of 33 other homes in the area, including six above the federal guidelines.
Stan Black of the IEPA said his office has not found a definitive link between spills at the Ogden Avenue company and the tainted wells.
Still, his office has asked Lockformer to provide an alternative water supply to potentially affected residents, and to begin immediate delivery of bottled water to homes in and near the affected area.
By also referring the case to the attorney general’s office, the IEPA hopes to determine the extent of contamination from the spills, whether TCE from the plant reached nearby homes, and whether the company violated the Environmental Protection Act.
“We feel we need to expedite finding where this TCE comes from that is in the private wells,” Black said.
Lockformer’s attorney, Dan Biederman, declined comment Wednesday, referring questions to a company spokesman. The spokesman did not return phone calls.
In the past, the company has said spills at the plant have nothing to do with the contaminated wells.
According to the IEPA, Lockformer discovered the problem in 1991, saying a spill occurred while TCE was being delivered to the metal-forming and fabricating firm. The state believes spills of the solvent, used to clean the metals, may have occurred as far back as the 1960s.
Data collected by consultants for Lockformer showed the spilled solvent sank about 35 to 50 feet into the ground, then stopped at a hard surface of clay.
Carried by groundwater, the liquid traveled south toward St. Joseph Creek. Company officials have said they believe the solvent did not reach the creek and that the groundwater’s path reverses on the other side, meaning it would not reach any property past the creek.
The homeowners’ lawsuit, filed in November, alleges that more than 100 homes, all south of St. Joseph Creek, could be contaminated by the solvent, and that the chemical has damaged property values.
Shawn Collins, an attorney representing the homeowners, said the IEPA’s decision to refer the case to the Attorney General’s office “bolsters the credibility of what we’re doing.”
The homeowners are trying to file their complaint as a class-action lawsuit, a move that has been resisted by Lockformer.
“This isn’t a private matter,” Collins said. “This is a matter very much of public health, and it’s urgent.”
Collins said the immediate need for area homeowners is safe drinking water. According to the IEPA, many are already drinking bottled water, either because they have never liked the taste of their well water, or because of concerns raised by the discovery of TCE.
State officials stress TCE found in the wells does not affect the village of Lisle’s public water supply, and they have found no problems west of Main Street.
It is unclear if elevated TCE levels in any of the tainted wells near the Lockformer plant have led to specific health problems. Health officials say a lifetime exposure to elevated levels of TCE can cause health problems. State officials have told 15 homeowners to find alternate sources of drinking water.
Scott Mulford, a spokesman for the Illinois attorney general’s office, said he could not comment on the case.
