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Resident reports paint chips with high lead content in Fox River; city says Illinois EPA issued violation notice
Summary
A resident told the council he found orange paint flakes in the Fox River that tested at 18% lead; city staff said they contacted Illinois EPA and legislators and that IEPA issued a violation notice to the rail owner, which has 45 days to provide a remediation plan.
At the open public-comment portion of the meeting, Steve Lafferty identified himself and reported finding large orange paint flakes in the Fox River along Route 31. Lafferty said he had them lab-tested and that results showed 18% lead concentration.
City staff told the council they had forwarded the finding to state legislators and the Illinois EPA. According to the meeting record, Senator DeWitt assisted in connecting city staff with IEPA. Staff said IEPA issued a violation notice to the rail owner (Canadian National) and that the owner has 45 days to propose a plan to mitigate and collect chipping paint so pulverized lead does not drain further into the river. Staff said they had not yet received a remediation plan and that they had asked for immediate response and remediation options.
The meeting record shows the council thanked the resident for testing and said staff and the relevant agencies are following up. No specific remediation actions or timelines beyond the IEPA notice window were recorded in the transcript excerpt.
