Tests confirm toxins found in Boneyard Creek site

By Illinois Public Media News - A health care advocates group says the findings of environmental experts from a Boneyard Creek pipeline confirm their fears about contaminants. 

Champaign County Health Care Consumers brought in the researchers to investigate the old pipe that extends from the site of a former manufactured gas plant at Champaign’s 5th and Hill Streets owned by Ameren.  Grant Antoline, an activist with the group, says lab results confirmed there was coal tar in the pipe, and it contained organic compounds like benzene, and hydrocarbons that exceed safety standards. 

“We’ve always been concerned that there’s been some sort of dumping into the Boneyard Creek from 3 years ago when we started this campaign,” said Antoline.  “It’s just common practice for these plants to be set up next to a waterway.  But to see results of 1-million, 300-thousand percent higher than they should be is outrageous.  And there’s no excuse for not investing in the pipe when it’s this serious.”

Residents in the 5th and Hill neighborhood have long complained over odors in their basements, and nagging health problems.  The consumer group’s 60-day notice of intent to sue the city of Champaign over cleaning up the pipe will expire April 11th. Its executive director, Claudia Lennhoff, says they simply want the line capped off.

“Their part of the action should be fairly simple and straightforward in terms of the notice of intent to sue,” said Lennhoff.  “All that we require of them under the Clean Water Act and that notice of intent to sue is to block off the discharge into the Boneyard.”

Lennhoff says the city should make Ameren pay for sealing up the pipeline.  EPA Spokeswoman Maggie Carson says its testing results from the Boneyard site have yet to be released, and Champaign city attorney Fred Stavins says the city is waiting on those results, and to find who’s responsible for cleaning up the pipe.

In February, the Champaign city council recommended repealing its groundwater ordinance on a case-by-case basis.  Stavins says the issue will re-surface by mid-April at the earliest.