Contacts
Anne Rowan (IEPA) 312-814-0778
Gail Simpson (IDNR) 217-725-9083
Georgia Parham (USFWS) 812-334-4261
Serious environmental and ecological damage at the former Indian
Refinery in Lawrence County will be repaired thanks to a unique public/private
partnership announced today.
As Natural Resource Trustees, the Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency (IEPA), the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) today signed an agreement with former
owner, Chevron Texaco, committing to an extensive restoration project at
Indian Refinery Superfund site located on 990 acres along the Embarras River.
Today’s agreement, known as a Natural Resources Damages
Assessment Funding and Participation Agreement (FPA), provides a funding
mechanism to evaluate the damage caused by contamination and restore natural
resources in Southern Illinois.
“ This agreement puts in place a funding mechanism that
will result in the first formal Natural Resources Damages Assessment work
performed in conjunction with a site investigation and cleanup in Illinois,” said
IEPA Director Renee Cipriano. “We believe the agreement and spirit
of cooperation it represents will be a model for similar work at other sites.”
“ This marks a critical step in restoring nearly 1000
acres to natural habitat,” said Joel Brunsvold, IDNR director. “There
is no doubt this site has been the location of great environmental pollution
for decades. From trees dying to deer disappearing in quicksand-like pools
of waste, we have seen evidence of destruction at this location. Now, that
damage can be reversed.”
“ The cooperative spirit that brought us together to
forge this agreement can continue to be the driving force in our efforts
to restore a piece of the natural legacy of Southern Illinois,” said
Robyn Thorson, Regional Director of USFWS.
The next step will be to develop an assessment plan that outlines
a number of alternatives to adequately address the resource damages, including
realistic restoration options to make the public whole. This evaluation will
be a cooperative effort between the Natural Resources Trustees and Chevron
Texaco.
The Indian Refinery operated from the early 1900’s until
the mid 1990’s. Contamination from the petroleum refining processes
has been identified across the entire property.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal
agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife
and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small
wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national
fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological
services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers
the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat
such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts.
It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds
of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to
state fish and wildlife agencies.
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