Collinwoods Subdivision Expanded Site Investigation: Fact Sheet #2

              Collinwoods Subdivision
Expanded Site Investigation
Fact Sheet #2
February 2002
Collinsville, Illinois
Where are the
Collinwoods
subdivision and the
expanded site
investigation areas
located?
The Collinwoods subdivision and the expanded site investigation areas are
located on the northeast side of the city of Collinsville. The expanded site
investigation area encompasses Pine Lake and portions of the surrounding
subdivision.
Why are the
Collinwoods and
Pine Lake
subdivisions being
investigated?
Between 1904 and 1933, the St. Louis Smelting and Refining Company
operated a lead smelter at the location that is now home to the Collinwoods
and Pine Lake subdivisions. The smelting facility’s main building was located
near the present intersection of Raintree Trail and Pine Lake Road. Other plant
buildings were located in the area presently bounded by Banyon Tree Road,
Lemontree Lane and Dogwood Trail.
What did the St.
Louis Smelting and
Refining Company
produce?
The company produced a variety of lead products including lead ingots, lead
sheets and powdered lead. The lead smelting process also resulted in the
production of large amounts of lead-bearing waste known as slag. Slag is a
mixture of lead and other elements, impurities and ash. Lead slag for this
facility was disposed of in large piles on the site. One such pile existed on the
south side of Pine Lake Road starting across from the intersection of
Lemontree Lane and extending to the Pine Lake Road cul-de-sac.
Is lead from the
smelter still in the
soil?
Scattered remains of lead slag, in both chunks and particles, have been
identified along Raintree Trail, Lemontree Lane and Banyon Tree Road and the
small pond east of the Pine Lake Road cul-de-sac as well.
Earlier site sampling conducted in September 1986 and May 1991 indicated
elevated levels of lead in the soil in some areas of the former smelter site. As
a result of the high levels of lead in the soil, the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) and the Illinois Department of Public Health
(IDPH) conducted blood lead screening of subdivision residents. Increased
lead exposure and absorption would have resulted in elevated levels of lead in
the blood. The blood lead screenings showed no abnormally high levels of lead
in the blood of local residents.
Recent sediment sampling conducted by a nongovernmental party revealed
elevated lead levels in the sediments of Pine Lake. In response to this finding,
Illinois EPA project managers elected to re-evaluate the site.
What will the
Illinois EPA do
next?
In the spring of 2002, Illinois EPA project managers will collect sediment and
fish samples from Pine Lake. These samples will be sent to the Illinois EPA
laboratories for analysis. In addition to the sediment and fish sampling, soil
screenings will be conducted in portions of the Collinwoods and Pine Lake
subdivisions. The information from these screenings will be used to make a
preliminary evaluation of the possible environmental effects of past operations
of the St. Louis Smelting and Refining Company. After evaluating the sampling
and screening results, the Illinois EPA will make a recommendation on possible
next steps to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). The
recommendation could be either “no further action” or it could be a
Fact Sheet #2 - St. Louis Smelting And Refining Page 1 of 4
http://www.epa.state.il.us/community-relations/fact-sheets/stl-smelting/stl-smelting-2.html 5/24/2012