West Dundee signs ordinance in dry cleaner cleanup

Trustees in West Dundee this week unanimously passed an ordinance prohibiting the drilling of wells within 1,550 feet of a dry cleaning business that's nearing the end of a chemical cleanup that started about eight years ago.

The groundwater protection ordinance is an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency requirement for villages that are in the process of remediating chemical leaks from dry cleaners, Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said.

"This is the IEPA's recommendation and procedure for these kinds of sites," Cavallaro said. "There are thousands of these sites all over the state."

Under the ordinance approved Monday, public and private wells are prohibited within a 1,550 foot radius of the Family Pride Dry Cleaners, 537 S. 8th St.

In 2001, a common but toxic dry cleaning solvent - perchloroethylene (PCE) - was found in groundwater and soil samples at the site.

It is unknown how the chemical made its way into the groundwater and soil, or when the leak originated, but officials say public drinking water never was compromised.

"There is minimal contamination and the contamination in the soil was not increasing," Cavallaro said. "Our two wells are nowhere near the site and they are 1,500 feet deep."

Village officials have said well No. 1 is about 2,000 feet away, while well No. 5 is about a half-mile away.

"This had to be done because it is the next step in the remediation," Trustee Norm Osth said. "Hopefully, now the dry cleaner can get a letter of remediation from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and be done with it."