An environmental team has decided to take a closer look at several sites at Ft. Sheridan that were not originally on the list of potentially contaminated areas, according to Army officials.
The new sites where experts will be looking for contamination include ammunition storage areas, a gas-mask test chamber and a building used to store hazardous chemicals such as pesticides, solvents and other chemicals, said Colleen Reilly, base environmental coordinator. Regulators also will examine an old firing range and a section of vacant land near the golf course suspected of being used as a landfill.
The environmental work will be discussed in detail when the fort’s Restoration Advisory Board meets next week. The panel includes citizens who provide local input on cleanup activities in conjunction with officials of the U.S. Army and the Illinois and U.S. Environmental Protection Agencies.
Areas of the historic fort that already are being investigated for environmental hazards include known landfills, coal storage areas, underground storage tanks, Nike missile silos and artillery areas.
The 700-acre fort was closed in 1993, but the land must still undergo a risk assessment and environmental cleanup. The restoration board will meet from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in Building 47 at the base.
Local officials will get a brief update of the environmental restoration activities at 7 p.m. Thursday during the regular meeting of the Ft. Sheridan Joint Planning Committee. The committee will meet in the Highland Park City Hall. The planning committee is working on a reuse plan for the century-old fort.
More Top Picks Best Kids Microscopes For Beginners