SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – Consent orders in a legal battle over the abandoned Pillsbury Mills factory have been announced by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
The legal fight stemmed from a referral by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which found asbestos-containing material (ACM) in trash bags, open trash cans and boxes, and debris in the facility. The attorney general’s office then sued in 2015, claiming facility owner P. Mills LLC, contractor Midwest Demolition and Scrap Inc., and P. Mills co-manager Joseph J. Chernis III had violated the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and federal regulations meant to prevent asbestos contamination.
After the suit was filed, the AG’s office obtained an order requiring defendants in the case to stop all demolition activities, post asbestos warning signs, secure all facility entrances and debris, and take steps to report how far asbestos contamination had gone.
Raoul said the attorney general’s office had to take more actions after defendants committed violations, including failing to secure the facility and post the right warnings. The US Environmental Protection Agency conducted a massive cleanup spanning nine months and costing millions of dollars. Officials said the cleanup included the removal of nearly 2,200 tons of contaminated debris, 1,160 cubic yards of contaminated pipe wrap and boiler insulation, nine 275-gallon totes of waste and fuel oil, three 55-gallon drums of antifreeze, 3,700 fluorescent lightbulbs, and 12 pounds of mercury.
The AG’s office had demanded defendants divest themselves of the facility or face civil penalties reflecting the millions of dollars spent on cleanup.
Asbestos exposure is dangerous and can lead to cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis, EPA officials said. There is no known safe exposure level to asbestos, and the 18-acre factory is in the middle of a residential Springfield neighborhood.
In the orders consent announced, defendants are barred from any further operations at the Pillsbury Mills facility, a press release from Raoul’s office said. They also must cease and desist from any further violations of state environmental laws and regulations. One consent order requires a $30,0000 civil penalty payment.
“This action brings to an end litigation that has spanned years and even predates my time as attorney general. I hope this filing marks the start of a new chapter in which the facility again benefits the community,” Raoul said. “These consent orders are one example of the work my office will continue to do to address environmental justice issues and pollution in vulnerable communities around Illinois.”
Pillsbury Project LLC had purchased the facility in March for $1. It plans to redevelop the site.
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