Crystal Lake firm dumping sewage, chemicals into ground, county claims
McHenry County health authorities are suing a Crystal Lake-area manufacturer of industrial fluids, claiming the company is dumping sewage and other contaminants into soil and wetlands surrounding its 58-acre headquarters.
A judge Tuesday denied a request for an emergency restraining order against Chemtool, a maker of lubricants, cleaners, sealants, adhesives and other products, but scheduled a June 9 hearing on the legal action that, if successful, could shut down the factory until cleanup is complete.
Assistant McHenry County State's Attorney Lynn Criscione said the suit comes after numerous inspections of the facility at 8200 Ridgefield Road, near McHenry County College, revealed evidence of pollution, including full septic tanks and degraded soil.
"The health department has been out there 15 times since the beginning of the year, and on at least five of those times domestic and non-domestic waste had been discharged into the soil and wetlands," she said.
County officials are awaiting a report from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to determine exactly what chemicals may have been discharged from the manufacturer, but Criscione said negative effects are visible on surrounding properties.
"It's impacting the land on both sides (of the factory)," she said. "Plants and insects that should be living there are not, presumably because of the discharge."
Chemtool officials did not return calls comment.
Criscione said the county also is awaiting IEPA test results to determine whether the discharge could effect neighboring properties, but that there are concerns that some could have leaked into the groundwater through drainage tiles on nearby farm land.
The suit asks a court to order that Chemtool cease any action that would lead to further discharge and take steps to clean up any pollution caused. The county also is seeking fines of up to $750 for each day the pollution occurred, though Thomas Carroll, civil division chief for the state's attorney, said that is a secondary concern.
"What we really want is remediation," he said.