Old American Zinc Plant

⚠ Superfund · Listed on NPL

EPA has completed the first five-year review of the Old American Zinc Plant Superfund site. Cleanup at the site is ongoing, but the Superfund law requires a review be completed within five years from the start of the cleanup. This is the first five-year review of this site.

Location

CityFairmont City
CountySt Clair County
StateIllinois
Coordinates38.64800, -90.09900

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 08/04/1995
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 09/30/2015
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 04/07/2016
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 06/06/2005
  5. Remedy Selected — 09/11/2012
  6. Final Remedial Action Started — 08/08/2018
  7. Construction Completed — Not Yet Achieved
  8. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  9. Most Recent Five-Year Review — 05/28/2024
  10. Achieved Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Reuse — Not Yet Achieved

EPA references

Other Superfund sites in St Clair County

EPA-regulated facilities nearby

Understanding this Superfund site

Old American Zinc Plant is a federal Superfund site in Illinois. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.

Current status: Listed on NPL. This site is on EPA's National Priorities List, which identifies the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country. Listing triggers federal cleanup authority and funding under CERCLA (the Superfund law).

EPA has identified 5 contaminants of concern at this site, including arsenic, cadmium, lead. Contamination has been detected in groundwater, soil, solid waste.

If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.