SPRINGFIELD – An Illinois Environmental Protection Agency contractor today is beginning cleanup of a dump site that has plagued the Lake Barrington – Wauconda area for decades. The cleanup is expected to take four to six weeks, weather permitting.
The Agency is working with the Village of Lake Barrington through an intergovernmental agreement to complete cleanup of the 16-acre John Tarkowski property located in unincorporated Lake County. Tarkowski had been illegally receiving waste material on his property since the late 1960s, according to public records.
“The Agency is pleased that we can finish cleanup of this environmental and safety hazard thanks to the efforts of the Village and their representatives in the General Assembly. The neighbors and the community have endured this mess too long,” said Illinois EPA Interim Director John Kim.
This last phase of the cleanup is being funded through a $430,000 state grant supported by Sen. Dan Duffy (Barrington), and Rep. Kent Gaffney (Wauconda). Remaining wastes will be removed and disposed of in a permitted landfill. Any recyclable materials will be separated and recycled to help defray the overall cost of the cleanup.
“The Village of Lake Barrington extends its thanks and appreciation to Governor Quinn, Sen. Dan Duffy, Rep. Kent Gaffney and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for their assistance in securing the funding for the final clean-up of the Tarkowski dumpsite located in the Lakeland Estates neighborhood of Lake Barrington,” said Lake Barrington Village President Kevin Richardson. “These funds will address a vital environmental objective for the Village and help assure that the ground water in the northern part of our community remains protected.”
Acting on results of an investigation, in 2004 the Illinois EPA confirmed through surveillance that Tarkowski was allowing trucks hauling various waste materials to illegally dump waste on his property. A notice of intent to pursue legal action was sent to Tarkowski. Subsequent court hearings resulted in a court order in April 2006 that required John Tarkowski to pay a $150,000 penalty and conduct a systematic cleanup of the property.
Tarkowski ignored the order and continued to allow dumping on the property; in July 2006 the Illinois EPA issued an Order to Seal the site to protect the public and the environment. Tarkowski removed the seal order sign within a few days and removed it again after the Agency replaced it. Illinois EPA worked with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, and Tarkowski was arrested for violating the seal order. Cost recovery actions are currently pending with the Illinois Attorney General’s office, and environmental liens have been placed on the property.
In 2006, the Illinois EPA conducted a partial cleanup which included spraying for mosquitoes to eliminate the risk of West Nile Virus, removing and recycling over 10,000 tires, removing and disposing various liquid waste containers, car batteries and various other special and hazardous wastes. An assortment of scrap metals and other materials were removed and when possible were recycled, which reduced the overall cost. Other costs were covered with funds from the Waste Tire Program.
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