Lead found on properties neighboring Dundee’s Haeger Potteries site

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency says lead-contaminated soil has been found in areas surrounding the former Haeger Potteries site, which is now owned by the village of East Dundee.

Agency officials sent a letter to residents and property owners notifying them that additional testing would begin the week of Sept. 21.

The IEPA didn’t respond to requests for comment. But a statement on its website said the agency was “made aware of elevated lead levels found recently in soil samples collected just beyond the western boundary of the former Haeger Potteries property. Of soil samples collected in this area, three showed lead levels above Illinois’ residential safety standards.”

Under state regulations, soil containing more than 400 mg/kg of lead is of concern. The three samples from the site showed levels of 15,300 mg/kg, 9,040 mg/kg, and 3,180 mg/kg, the state agency said.

Lead doesn’t breakdown and will remain in soil for years if not removed, according to the IEPA. Young children who are exposed to it can have issues related to brain development, learning and behavior, and adults can experience high blood pressure and reduced kidney function, the agency said.

In addition to lead, officials said higher levels of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) also were found in off-site areas. TPH is a mixture of petroleum-based compounds and can affect the nervous system, immune system, lungs, liver and kidneys, according to the IEPA.

Residents can reduce exposure by “limiting direct contact with bare soil, avoiding activities that generate dust and washing hands after outdoor activities,” the website said.

Haeger Potteries was founded in 1852 and in business until 2019. It handled and stored heavy metals used in pottery glazes for its ceramic products, including lead and other hazardous and petroleum-based products, according to the IEPA.

It was known that the site was contaminated when East Dundee purchased it in 2024. When being marketed for redevelopment, the village made clear that remediation would be required of whoever took on the project.

However, this is the first time potential off-site contamination has been discussed.

“The village is cooperating with the IEPA and has made numerous requests to them for an access agreement and sampling plan so that the village can review these documents before they conduct soil sampling on village-owned property,” according to a statement in East Dundee’s newsletter.

Village officials also requested the IEPA set up a public online website providing the facts about what is known.

The IEPA has not responded to the village’s requests, Interim Village Manager Franco Bottalico said.

“Everything in the newsletter is literally all (we) got,” Bottalico said. “It’s going to be a learning experience for us all.”

He encouraged residents and property owners to visit the website the IEPA provided and to reach out to the agency with questions.

The Haeger Potteries buildings are vacant. A proposal from Brinshore Development for a $76.3 million residential redevelopment project was presented to the village last year.

If it proceeds as proposed, the village would sell the site to the company for $1. Brinshore would be responsible for cleaning up the contamination before building 73 new two- and three-story townhouses and 42 apartments, of which 21 would be part of the renovated structure.

“I haven’t heard any updates on Brinshore,” Bottalico said. “I think they are in a holding pattern searching for funding. They are trying to work out the numbers on their end.”

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The (Elgin) Courier-News.