Publications & Sites 
Deerfield, business address contamination
Updated: October 28, 2012 6:15AM
DEERFIELD — The Deerfield Village Board and Lee’s Hanalei Cleaners are working together to address the contamination of soil and groundwater around the cleaners.
Barbara Little, Deerfield’s director of public works and engineering, recommended Sept. 18 that village trustees consider approving an ordinance for a limited area groundwater use restriction around the cleaners, 650 Deerfield Road. While the boundaries of the restricted zone have not yet been determined, the move would align with requirements outlined in the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s site remediation program.
Lee’s Hanalei Cleaners approached the village earlier in the year about instituting the ordinance after learning that the contaminate tetrachloroethylene (PCE) was present in its subsurface soil and groundwater.
Although there are reportedly no contaminates affecting any of the adjoining properties or soil beneath Deerfield Road, officials explained that the potential for off-site groundwater contamination exists.
The IEPA allows a certain amount of PCE to be present in subsurface soil and groundwater; however, the concentration around the cleaners exceeds that amount, officials reported.
In April, Little said the site’s contamination was not necessarily the result of any action taken by the cleaners, but rather a result of more flexible regulations years ago concerning the disposal of dry cleaning solvents.
When an IEPA remedial action plan was deemed necessary to prevent the contamination of the village’s groundwater, Lee’s Hanalei Cleaners and Laicon Consulting Services decided that part of that plan would require the institution of the limited groundwater use restriction ordinance.
“The village already has a prohibition on new wells in its municipal code, but it does not meet the requirements by the IEPA,” Little said.
Deerfield currently abides by a similar code that states “no new wells may be established and used for the supply of potable water in any area of the village. Lee’s Hanalei Cleaners still must meet the IEPA’s specific requirements before the agency can issue a No Further Remediation letter.
AECOM Technical Services, Inc., which had been retained by Deerfield officials for environmental consulting on the matter, agreed that the restricted zone ordinance would be necessary. AECOM also agreed that, if approved by the IEPA, engineered barriers could address the elevated PCE concentrations.
The existing building and paved parking lots could serve as an engineered barrier, officials said.
