South Elgin shuts down business linked to illegal river dumping

Authorities have determined that a substance that killed dozens of a fish in a creek near the Fox River in South Elgin last weekend was a component of laundry detergent.

Januari Smith, spokeswoman from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said authorities have concluded their initial investigation of the May 14 incident in which white suds flowed down a creek near Tequila's Restaurant, 1101 N. LaFox St., near the Fox River.

Smith said the department forwarded its findings to the Illinois Attorney General's office and will continue to work with them on the case.

"We have identified the substance that was dumped - alkylbenzene sulfonic acid anionic surfactant, commonly used in laundry detergent products," Smith said.

Robyn Ziegler, the attorney general's spokeswoman, said the investigation is ongoing.

The water test results corroborate some of what an employee at D & Y Recyling, a firm at the center of the investigation, said this week.

"It's not a chemical. It's a soap," D & Y manager John Zheng said in a phone interview earlier this week.

Meantime, South Elgin village officials have shut down D & Y, which is at the center of the investigation into liquids that authorities say were poured into a storm sewer and eventually flowed into the creek.

Steve Super, the village's community development director, said that officials denied a request from D & Y, 670 Sundown Road, for an occupancy permit.

"They're no longer accepting material. They're no longer operating," he said. "As soon as we were told, we said, 'Let's investigate' just like any other code enforcement matter."

Super said officials also cited D & Y owner John Zheng for operating without an occupancy permit, working without a permit and littering an elicit discharge.

Super's department learned late last week that D & Y was operating in the industrial park after another firm approached the village to apply for an occupancy permit to do business in the same building. Operating a recycling facility requires a special-use permit, Super said.

Because D & Y didn't apply for the special use permit, that was grounds to deny its application for an occupancy permit earlier this week.

The fines against Zheng total $200 and only address violations from a village code standpoint, Super said.

Other charges and fines could be levied by county and state enforcement agencies.

Last Saturday afternoon, a man watching carp spawn in a creek that feeds into the Fox River noticed white, foam floating down the creek, killing fish and other wildlife in its path.

Local and state authorities responded to clean and contain the chemicals. The Illinois Conservation Police, which is the law enforcement arm of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, investigated the matter.

Zheng said his business has been in South Elgin about a year. He said the substance from Saturday's incident was a soap similar to dishwasher soap and that he hired SET Environmental of Wheeling to clean the creek.

Zheng said the substance was being stored in a container or drum outside the business when it began leaking into the storm sewer.

However, a South Elgin police report said officers found two men hidden by semi trailers creating "an artificial wall" and one man was spotted pouring liquid from a blue barrel into the sewer.

Asked why this information conflicted with his story, Zheng said, "It must be a miscommunication."

<div class="infoBox">

<h1>More Coverage</h1>

<div class="infoBoxContent">

<div class="infoArea">

<h2>Stories</h2>

<ul class="links">

<li><a href="/story/?id=382522">South Elgin shuts down business linked to illegal river dumping <span class="date">[05/21/10]</span></a></li>

<li><a href="/story/?id=381629">Report: Men tried to hide South Elgin chemical dump <span class="date">[05/18/10]</span></a></li>

<li><a href="/story/?id=381435">Probe continues into chemical dumping in S. Elgin creek <span class="date">[05/17/10]</span></a></li>

<li><a href="/story/?id=381165">Cops: Toxic chemicals dumped into Fox River killing fish, wildlife <span class="date">[05/16/10]</span></a></li>

</ul>

</div>

</div>

</div>