PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

WAUCONDA SAND AND GRAVEL LANDFILL
WAUCONDA, LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

CONCLUSIONS

The Wauconda Sand and Gravel NPL site, located in the Village of Wauconda, represents no apparent public health hazard. The risk of drinking water contamination is greatest for people whose wells are located downgradient (north/northeast of the landfill) and are tapped into the upper aquifer. There are 30 to 35 wells within one-quarter mile of the landfill. Only two (about 1600 feet northwest) are known to be tapped into the upper aquifer. In 1983, two other residential wells just east of the landfill were found to have low levels of a number of contaminants. No subsequent samplings have detected landfill-related contaminants. These wells have not been used as residential wells since 1984. It is unclear whether the lower aquifer, which most wells are tapped into, has been contaminated by the landfill. At present, migration of landfill gases to nearby homes seems unlikely, since passive gas vents were installed during remediation. There is also a very low probability of surface water, sediment, and surface soil exposure to contaminants at this basically remediated landfill.

Although the Health Outcome Data indicate a significant increase in cancer incidence in two zip codes near the site, there is no evidence that the types of cancer found are linked to contamination from the site. Community concerns involve health concerns related to potential exposure to contaminants in groundwater and sludge amended soils.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Cease/Reduce Exposure Recommendations

1. Continue to restrict access to the Wauconda landfill site.

Site Characterization Recommendations

1. Continue to monitor off-site groundwater and residential wells.


1. The origin of vanadium and antimony in the groundwater should be determined, since they may not be coming from the landfill.

Health Activities Recommendations Panel (HARP) Statement

In accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 as amended, ATSDR and the state have evaluated the Wauconda Sand and Gravel Company site for appropriate follow-up activities. Although there are indications of past exposure, the concentrations and duration of exposure were not at levels of public health concern. At this time, there are no known pathways of human exposure and no follow-up activities are recommended, However, follow-up activities will be considered if data become available that suggest human exposure is occurring or is likely to occur in the future.

Public Health Action

The purpose of the Public Health Action (PHA) is to ensure that this health assessment not only identifies public health hazards, but also provides a plan of action designed to mitigate and prevent adverse human health effects resulting from exposure to hazardous substances in the environment.

No public health actions have been identified as necessary at the Wauconda Landfill site at this time. ATSDR and IDPH will reevaluate this assessment when needed. New environmental, toxicological, or health outcome data may indicate the need for additional actions at this site in the future.

PREPARERS AND REVIEWERS OF REPORT

PREPARERS:

Frank Vaughan, Ph.D.
Bruce Barrow, M.A.
Environmental Toxicologist
Illinois Department of Public Health

REVIEWERS:

Sharron LaFollette, Ph.D.
Bruce Barrow, M.A.
Environmental Toxicologists
Illinois Department of Public Health

ATSDR REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Louise Fabinski
Regional Operations
Office of the Assistant Administrator

ATSDR TECHNICAL PROJECT OFFICER

William Greim
Remedial Programs Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation

CERTIFICATION

The Wauconda Sand and Gravel Landfill Public Health Assessment was prepared by the Illinois Department of Public Health under a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). It is in accordance with approved methodology and procedures existing at the time the public health assessment was begun.

William Greim
Technical Project Officer
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation (DHAC)
ATSDR

The Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, ATSDR, has reviewed this public health assessment, and concurs with its findings.

Robert C. Williams, P.E., DEE
Director, DHAC, ATSDR

REFERENCES

Agency for toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 1988-92. Toxicological Profiles. Atlanta, GA

Conestoga-Rovers & Associates Ltd. 1986. Quality Assurance Project Plan: Supplemental Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study, Wauconda Sand and Gravel Landfill Site, Wauconda, Illinois. Waterloo, Ontario.

Conestoga-Rovers & Associates. 1987. Supplemental Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study, Volume I: Remedial Investigation; Volume 2: Feasibility Study; Volume 3: Database Ref. #1449-40. Waterloo, Ontario.

Conestoga-Rovers & Associates. 1989. Monitoring Report, Oct/Nov. 1988. Interim Remedial Measures, Maintenance and Monitoring Program, Wauconda Landfill Site, Wauconda, Illinois. Ref. #2669, Waterloo, Ontario.

Conestoga-Rovers & Associates. 1990. Annual Monitoring Report - 1990: Wauconda Landfill Remediation, Wauconda, Illinois, Ref. #1449-40(51). Waterloo, Ontario.

Conestoga-Rovers & Associates. 1991a. Annual Monitoring Report - 1991 Wauconda Landfill Remediation, Wauconda, Illinois. Ref. #1449-40(53). Waterloo, Ontario.

Conestoga-Rovers & Associates. 1991b. Quality Assurance Project Plan: Wauconda Landfill Remediation, Wauconda, Illinois. Waterloo, Ontario.

Conestoga-Rovers & Associates. 1992a. Annual Monitoring Report #3 (May 1, 1991 to December 31, 1991), Wauconda Landfill Remediation, Wauconda, Illinois. Ref. #1449-40(59). Waterloo, Ontario.

Conestoga-Rovers & Associates. 1992b. Annual Monitoring Report #4 (January 1, 1992 to November 30, 1992), Wauconda Landfill Remediation, Wauconda, Illinois. Ref. #1449-40(62). Waterloo, Ontario.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, 1983. Approximate Soil Normals in Illinois. ERU/Jim Kelty. IEPA, Springfield, IL.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. 1992. Division of Public Water Supplies, Selected Sample Expanded Report, Report #PWGWP048. Charles Bell, IEPA, Springfield, IL

Jacobs Engineering. 1988. Public Meeting Transcript, Wauconda Sand and Gravel Site, Wauconda, Illinois. Project #05-B381-00. Chicago, IL.

Kuhn, M., K. Bardo, and G. Millan. 1986. IDPH Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant, Annual Report, 10/1/84-9/30/85. Environmental Assessment of Fifteen Closed Landfills in Lake County. Lake County Health Department, Waukegan, IL

Kuhn, M. and G. Millan. 1985. IDPH Preventative Health and Health Services Block Grant Project Report: Water Quality at Fifteen Closed Landfills in Lake County. Lake County Health Department, Waukegan, IL.

Lake County Health Department. 1988. IDPH Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant: Administrative Report 10/1/86-9/30/87. Monitoring for Water Pollution at Closed Solid Waste Landfill Sites in Lake County. Waukegan, IL.

Lake County Health Department. 1990. Bangs Lake, 1990: A Water Quality Report with Management Recommendations. Environmental Health Division, Waukegan, IL.

National Toxicology Program. 1991. NTP Report on the Toxicity Studies of Acetone in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice. NTP, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC.

Olsen, M.B., M.F. Kuhn, and G. Millan. 1989, 1990, 1991. IDPH Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant Administrative Reports. Monitoring for Water Pollution at Closed Solid Waste Landfill Sites in Lake County. Lake County Health Department, Waukegan, IL.

U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1990. Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) System. Washington, D.C. 20233. Written files located: Lake County Planning Dept. Library, Waukegan, IL.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1985. Record of Decision: Operable Unite Remedial Alternative Selection, Site: Wauconda Sand and Gravel Landfill, Wauconda, Illinois. Sept. 30, 1985: Valas V. Adamkus, Regional Administrator, Region 5, Chicago, IL.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1988. Transcript of Public Informational meeting Concerning Wauconda Sand and Gravel Site, Wauconda, Illinois (Dec. 14, 1988, 7:00pm). USEPA Region 5, Chicago, IL.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1989a. Responsiveness Summary, Wauconda Sand and Gravel Site, Wauconda, Illinois. USEPA, Region 5, Chicago, IL.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1989b. Administrative Order (Sec. 106 CERCLA), Implementing Record of Decision of 3/31/89. USEPA, Region 5, Chicago, IL.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1991. Summary of Information on Waste Disposal for the Wauconda Sand and Gravel Co. Site. Sec. 106 Administrative Record Index for the Wauconda Sand and Gravel Site. USEPA Region 5, Chicago, IL.

Weston-Sper. 1988. Memorandum to P. Canpagna, EPA/ERT from Anthony Lombardo, ERT/TAT, Subject: Data Tables, Summa Canister Analysis, Wauconda Sand and Gravel, Wauconda, IL. August 1988. Weston-Sper, Edison, NJ.

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