SOUTH CHICAGO \u2014 State environmental regulators have approved developers\u2019 plans to clean up the former site of a South Side steel mill, clearing the way for work to begin on the Quantum Shore Chicago project.<\/p>\n
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency this week signed off on a cleanup plan for the old U.S. Steel South Works<\/a> at 8080 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Developers Related Midwest and CRG are pursuing updated approvals that would clear the site as safe for redevelopment.<\/p>\n The Quantum Shore project will include the\u00a0Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park<\/a>,\u00a0a replacement for Advocate Trinity Hospital<\/a>,\u00a0single-family housing<\/a>\u00a0and improved access to South Chicago\u2019s lakefront parks, officials have said.\u00a0The development broke ground Sept. 30<\/a>.<\/p>\n The site was remediated under U.S. Steel\u2019s ownership, and it\u00a0has received \u201cno further remediation\u201d letters<\/a>\u00a0in the decades since the South Works\u2019 closure. Illinois environmental regulators issue such letters to confirm site conditions \u201cdo not present a significant risk to human health or the environment<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Most of the property needs no further remediation, as the state previously determined, developers said last month. However, recent soil and water testing found pollutants like petroleum, heavy metals and man-made chemicals from the steel mill\u2019s operations. <\/p>\n State regulators on Monday approved a plan to clean up those pollutants, which was drafted for the developers by Little Village-based Pioneer Engineering and Environmental Services.<\/p>\n With the conditional approval in hand, and with no further approvals needed, remediation and construction work will begin this month, the developers said.<\/p>\n \u201cLeveraging our decades of experience with complex environmental projects, we remain committed to meeting all reporting requirements and regulatory standards \u2026 to address legacy contamination and to ensure the protection of human health and the environment,\u201d Related Midwest spokesperson Matt Baker said in a statement.<\/p>\n A major aspect of the remediation plan would enclose contaminants within a massive barrier system. A horizontal barrier of asphalt, concrete or clean soil would cover the entire Quantum Shore site, while nearly 2 miles of \u201cslurry walls\u201d would prevent pollution from leaking into Lake Michigan or the Calumet River, according to the plan.<\/p>\n The state\u2019s approval requires the developers to meet a series of conditions<\/a> as they carry out the plan and work toward updated \u201cno further remediation\u201d letters. The conditions include:<\/p>\n Monitoring the slurry wall system\u2019s effectiveness for at least 30 years. <\/p>\n Remediating groundwater near a well which showed elevated levels of vinyl chloride.<\/p>\n Addressing an additional soil sample which was determined to be hazardous and corrosive.<\/p>\n Either developing systems to mitigate the risk of vapor inhalation, or performing additional testing to determine such systems are not needed, once the specific locations of buildings on the premises are finalized.<\/p>\n The full report and remediation plan is available through the agency\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n While most of the property needs no further remediation, as the state previously determined, about 6.5 percent of the site is polluted beyond modern cleanup standards, the developers said last month.<\/p>\n