Pilsen Area Soils Past Site Updates

April 2018

Contractors for H. Kramer & Co resume work to remove lead-contaminated soil in Operable Unit (OU) 2 (1pp, 1.5MB, About PDF)of the Pilsen Area Soils site this month. They plan to continue cleanup of at least 10 additional residential properties for which EPA has received access agreements. As of end of the construction season in December 2017, H. Kramer's contractors, GHD and RW Collins, had addressed 54 homes as required under U.S. EPA's unilateral order (70pp, 6.5MB , About PDF)issued in September 2016.

EPA is overseeing the cleanup of lead-contaminated soil in the residential area referred to as Operable Unit 2 of the Pilsen Area Soils site. The cleanup work began in December 2016 and consists of contractors from H. Kramer & Co. excavating, removing and disposing lead-contaminated soil from residential yards in the target area. Excavated areas are backfilled with clean soil and sod or gravel depending on the homeowner’s preference.

January 2018

Contractors for H. Kramer & Co have paused work to remove lead-contaminated soil in Operable Unit (OU) 2 of the Pilsen Area Soils site for the winter months. They plan to resume work in April 2018 to continue cleanup of at least 10 additional residential properties for which EPA has received access agreements. As of end of the construction season in December 2017, H. Kramer's contractors, GHD and RW Collins, have addressed 54 homes as required under U.S. EPA's unilateral order (70pp, 6.5MB, About PDF) issued in September 2016.

EPA is overseeing the cleanup of lead-contaminated soil in the residential area referred to as Operable Unit 2 (1 pp, 1.5MB About PDF) of the Pilsen Area Soils site. The cleanup work had begun in December 2016 and consists of contractors from H. Kramer & Co. excavating, removing and disposing lead-contaminated soil from residential yards in the target area. Excavated areas are backfilled with clean soil and sod or gravel depending on the homeowner’s preference.

September 2017

EPA is overseeing the cleanup of lead-contaminated soil in the residential area referred to as Operable Unit 2 of the Pilsen Area Soils site. Contractors from H. Kramer & Co. are conducting the work in compliance with U.S. EPA's unilateral order issued to H. Kramer in September 2016 to remove lead-contaminated soil from at least 54 residential yards in the target area.

Work restarted in late April and continue throughout the summer. U.S. EPA needs property owners to give their permission for the removal work by signing an access agreement. After coordinating with property owners who have signed the form, H. Kramer & Co. will dig up yards and remove lead-contaminated soil.

Cleanup will consist of excavating contaminated dirt in the yards and gardens of homes with lead in surface soil greater than 400 parts lead per million parts soil. Engineering controls such as dust suppression and monitoring will protect workers and residents. The soil will be disposed of at a permitted disposal facility. Yards will be filled in with clean soil and restored to their original condition as much as possible.

Thirty-five properties were excavated, filled in with clean soil and restored from December 2016 to September 2017.

Residential Soil Cleanup Set to Begin, Fact Sheet, April 2017 (2pp, 376K, About PDF)
Se reanuda la limpieza de tierras residenciales, Abril 2017 (2pp, 376K, About PDF)

December 2016

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing the cleanup of lead-contaminated soil in the residential area referred to as Operable Unit 2 of the Pilsen Area Soils site. Contractors from H. Kramer & Co. are conducting the work in compliance with U.S. EPA's unilateral order issued to H. Kramer in September 2016 to remove lead-contaminated soil from at least 54 residential yards in the target area.

H. Kramer is a corporation that owns and operates a secondary nonferrous metals facility manufacturing primarily brass and bronze ingots, where a portion of the facility’s production capacity is devoted to lead-containing metal alloys. The facility is located at 1345 West 21st Street in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.

The current cleanup schedule calls for work from December through the summer of 2017. After coordinating with property owners, H. Kramer & Co. is beginning to dig up yards at a few homes during the week of Dec. 19. However, crews will pause work during winter months because freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall can make access to the ground and excavation difficult for workers. The warmer weather next spring will soften the ground and allow H. Kramer to resume cleanup.

If you own a residential property within OU2, U.S. EPA urges you to complete an access agreement allowing the Agency to sample your property for soil lead and find out if a cleanup is needed. Please contact Heriberto León or Ramon Mendoza (see box on upper right) for more information.

September 2016 Update

On Sept. 22, 2016, EPA ordered H. Kramer & Co. to take immediate action to remove lead-contaminated soil from at least 54 residential yards in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. H. Kramer has up to 30 days to comply with EPA’s unilateral administrative order and begin the cleanups. (See Unilateral Administrative Order for Pilsen Soil Operable Unit 2 Residential Site.)

To date, EPA has done lead testing at 58 Pilsen residences in a 25-acre area bounded by West 18th Place to the north, an alley between South Allport Street and South Racine Avenue to the east, West 21st Street to the south, and South Loomis Street to the west. Results from EPA tests in the spring of this year at 34 properties show that 30 have lead concentrations above the Agency’s 400 ppm action level for lead in surface soil. EPA has begun notifying residents of their test results. In 2013, EPA had notified Pilsen residents that test results at 24 of 25 properties showed lead concentrations above the action level.

The 2013 results prompted EPA to initiate a robust community involvement and information program to warn Pilsen residents about lead risks and advise them on how to avoid exposure to lead. EPA also negotiated a December 2015 legal agreement with H. Kramer requiring the company to expand lead testing to the rest of the area. EPA is seeking access to another 57 residences in the area to continue lead soil testing.

July 2016 Update

Operable Unit 1 (OU1): EPA oversaw the removal by BNSF contractors of tracks and ties along the railway spur. EPA also oversaw the excavation and disposal of lead-contaminated soil from the railroad spur and alley by H. Kramer contractors. Work was completed in Areas 1-2 and 4-10, which have been covered with either a compacted gravel cap or asphalt.

Next steps: EPA will continue to work with the city of Chicago to address any concerns in portions of soil adjacent to Area 2.

Operable Unit 2 (OU2): Earlier this year EPA reached out to owners of 130 properties by mail, phone, and in person in an effort to gain access for soil sampling. Between a 2013 round of sampling and another one this year, EPA has sampled or has overseen the sampling of over 50 properties. There are a number of properties in OU2 that have been determined to have permanent covers with no exposure to bare soil. EPA continues to work with the city of Chicago and community organizations to identify and reach out to property owners about this project.

Next steps: Under the Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent for Removal Action, EPA and H. Kramer will review the data from samples collected this year. Once the sampling analysis report is finalized, EPA will continue working with H. Kramer and the city of Chicago to determine next steps in addressing lead concerns in OU2. Owners whose property was sampled this year should be getting their result letters later this summer.