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No Walk in the Park for EPA In Chicago

Oct. 22, 2001

EPA cites the Chicago Park District for violating federal rules on PCBs.

Parks are usually associated with grass and green trees, flowers, the laughter of children, and a healthy lifestyle. In Illinois, that's not always the case apparently.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 filed a complaint against the Chicago Park District for violating federal rules on PCBs. A $33,550 penalty has been proposed.

In 1998, a transformer was knocked over in the maintenance yard of the Garfield Park Conservatory. The incident released PCBs, and the U.S. EPA worked with the Illinois EPA and the Chicago Park District to clean up that spill.

The complaint cites the park district for failing to maintain proper records and regularly inspect and properly store PCB transformers. The park district has since completed an inventory of all transformers in its parks network.

PCBs are a group of toxic chemicals, once used widely in industry as coolants and lubricants. EPA banned the manufacture of PCB's in 1979 because of evidence that they accumulate in the environment and present health hazards for people.

EPA regulates the proper cleanup, disposal, marking, record keeping, storage and limited use of PCBs to protect the public from these potentially dangerous chemicals.

edited by Sandy Smith

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.