PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT
BYRON SALVAGE YARD
(a/k/a BYRON JOHNSON)
BYRON, OGLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
The Byron Johnson Salvage Yard and the former Dirk's Farm property are in Ogle County about half way between the cities of Byron and Oregon in the northern part of Illinois. Waste materials containing volatile organic compounds, cyanide, and heavy metals were disposed improperly at both properties and resulted in extensive soil, sediment, and groundwater contamination. About 150 residences are within a 1-mile radius of the site, primarily to the northwest. The area surrounding the site is agricultural, residential, or wooded, with the exception of the Byron Nuclear Power Plant.
Because of the groundwater contamination, most residences that used private wells have been connected to public water from the city of Byron. Nevertheless, the site poses a public health hazard for individuals who continue to use contaminated well water and for people living outside of the public water supply service area who use private well water that may be contaminated and are downgradient from the site.
Soil and waste removal, fencing, and establishment of vegetation at the Salvage Yard have reduced the likelihood of direct soil contact and dust emissions. Should the fence around the site be removed, any future development of the Salvage Yard may increase the potential for human exposure to contaminated soil. The main health effect that could result from such exposure is contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals. Soil contamination at the former Dirk's Farm property has been partially remediated and will be further addressed by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends monitoring existing area wells and restricting new wells in potentially-contaminated groundwater zones, including the area where residents who are participating in the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's trichloroethylene subregistry live, and restricting development of properties where soil contamination exists.
A. Site Description and History
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) have defined this site as two areas: The Byron Johnson Salvage Yard (Salvage Yard) and the former Dirk's Farm property (Attachment 1). Both are in the northern part of Illinois in Ogle County about half way between the towns of Byron and Oregon. This site was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1982.
The Salvage Yard consists of 20 acres divided into a 2.5-acre tract, a 7.5-acre tract, and a 10-acre tract, each owned by one of three owners. In the 1960s and early 1970s, this area operated as a salvage yard and unpermitted landfill. The Salvage Yard is bordered on the west by Razorville Road.
The former Dirk's Farm property (Dirk's Farm), directly west of the Salvage Yard across Razorville Road, was also used during the 1960s and 1970s as a storage and salvage area. Dirk's Farm is bordered on the north by Acorn Road. Now owned by Commonwealth Edison Company (CECo), the area consists of 160 acres of wooded and vegetated farm land. Except for the construction of the segment of the power plant's blowdown corridor that crosses the property and occasional hay harvesting, the site has been idle since March 1973. Dirk's Farm was included in the 1985 USEPA Remedial Investigation (RI) of the Salvage Yard to determine the extent of environmental contamination.
The Salvage Yard and Dirk's Farm properties are in an area of hills and narrow drainage channels. About 150 residences, primarily northwest of the site, are within a 1-mile radius of the site. Most of these homes are in the Rock River Terrace subdivision, about 1 mile northwest of the site. The area surrounding the site is agricultural, residential, or wooded, with the exception of the Byron Nuclear Power Plant. Two small ravines, the West Waterway and South Waterway, drain the Salvage Yard into the south branch of Woodland Creek, an intermittent creek flowing northwest to the Rock River. Meyers Spring, a spring-fed pond, is about 0.5 miles northwest of the site. Dirk's Farm is drained by narrow drainage paths from east to west on the southern part of the property and south to north on the extreme northeast edge of the property.
Motorsport Park, which is used for motorcycle riding, is northeast of the Salvage Yard. Along the southern boundary is residential property where the owner of the 10-acre portion of the Salvage Yard lives. CECo owns the properties immediately north (Byron Forest Preserve District), southeast (Byron Nuclear Power Plant), and west of the Salvage Yard, which comprises about 480 acres.
During the 1960s and 1970s, both the Salvage Yard and Dirk's Farm accepted waste that included cyanide, plating wastes, oils, and several solvents. Improper disposal of these wastes resulted in extensive soil, sediment, and groundwater contamination by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), cyanide, and heavy metals. Initial investigations estimated that about 3,600 cubic yards of extremely contaminated on-site soil were present. Data from private wells and groundwater monitoring wells indicate that both the Galena-Platteville Dolomite (upper) and the St. Peter Sandstone (lower) aquifers in the area are contaminated. Private wells use both aquifers.
A chronology of investigations and regulatory actions relating to the site follows (13)(38)(40):
IDPH staff conducted a visit of the Salvage Yard on July 28, 1989. The area was surrounded by a chain-link fence that limited access to the site. The area is covered with trees and heavy vegetation. Two abandoned sheds were on the site, as well as an abandoned house, an abandoned mobile home, and piles of scattered refuse. In addition, two trailers used during cleanup activities were parked near the entrance to the site; however, these have subsequently been removed. The area of Meyers Spring Pond was occupied by tent campers. Although the campers were not present at the time of the visit, bottles found near the outlet of the spring indicated that spring water might be collected for drinking and general use purposes.
A later visit to the Salvage Yard on May 1, 1991, found further deterioration of the abandoned structures and the collection of additional refuse near the abandoned house. Drums were present near a trailer used as a base for coordination of on-site activities. Dirk's Farm access road was chained, and a "no trespassing" sign was posted. Although CECo stated that access was limited to company personnel performing maintenance activities and a local farmer harvesting hay, no barrier prevented trespassing by foot or by an all-terrain vehicle.
IDPH staff visited the site on September 30, 1994. The Salvage Yard property remained fenced and the area itself was overgrown with grass, bushes, and small trees. A car, a boat, and a trailer were stored on the site. The fence line along Razorville Road was posted "Caution Keep Out -- Area Contaminated with Industrial Chemicals." The Dirk's Farm property west of the salvage yard had considerable grass and clover cover, and much of the property was wooded. Access was unrestricted to the property, and monitoring wells were visible from Razorville Road. A CECo electrical transmission line traversed the property. No evidence of trespassing was seen on the property.
IDPH again visited the site on November 18, 1998. Site conditions were unchanged, although signs were posted in the area that several nearby properties owned by CECo were to be auctioned January 11, 1999.
C. Demographics, Land Use, and Natural Resources Use
The Salvage Yard and Dirk's Farm properties are in rural Ogle County. The population within 1.5 miles is about 600 persons, with the majority of the population living west, northwest, and north of the site between the site and the Rock River. The general land use in the vicinity of the site is industrial (Byron Nuclear Power Plant), residential, recreational (Motorsport Park and Byron Forest Preserve), agricultural, and undeveloped.
Most of the undeveloped land surrounding the site is vegetated and is currently owned by CECo. This includes Dirk's Farm (160 acres), 80 acres of the Byron Forest Preserve, and the land south of the Salvage Yard (240 acres), with the exception of 10 acres of privately owned property due south of the Salvage Yard and the area around Byron Nuclear Power Plant. CECo personnel have access to Dirk's Farm to perform maintenance activities, and a local farmer occasionally harvests hay.
The 10 acres adjacent to the Salvage Yard on the southern boundary contain two homes that are occupied by the owner and his tenants. These are the residents living nearest the site. Since the owner possesses a 10-acre portion of the Salvage Yard, both the owner and tenants have access and occasionally use the area for vehicle storage.
Other residents near the site reside in three major areas:
Several recreational areas are near the Salvage Yard:
Despite the completion of a water line from the city of Byron, a few residents continue to use private wells for drinking water. Other residents disconnected their wells from their household plumbing but use the well water for watering lawns, farm and domestic animals, and gardens. The area is rapidly being developed with new residential dwellings. These residences may or may not be within the public water supply service area, yet may be downgradient from the site. This public health assessment considers exposure to contaminated groundwater for those residents still drinking well water. The more probable scenario of exposure would be residents using the public water supply for household use and well water for outdoor use. A few residents have received variances for their wells not to be sealed due to their planned agricultural uses.
Based on the evaluations performed as part of this public health assessment, IDPH has determined that persons have been exposed to site-related contaminants. In addition, community health concerns related to the site have been reported. In response to the contamination and concerns, certain individuals with verified exposure to chlorinated solvents are included in the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) TCE Exposure Subregistry and are being contacted at yearly intervals regarding their health status.
The State of Illinois maintains databases for cancer incidence and birth defects. Information from the Illinois State Cancer Registry is available for the years 1985 through 1995. No health outcome data have been generated for this site due to the small population surrounding the site. Large study populations are necessary to provide significant health outcome statistics.
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