Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge NRDAR Wastewater Treatment Plant Remediation & Restoration

Background information. Site 36, the wastewater treatment plant on the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge (Crab Orchard NWR), is one of 21 sites on the refuge that have been remediated. The wastewater treatment plant, which was constructed as part of the Illinois Ordnance Plant in 1942, was used to treat wastewater from industrial tenants until the spring of 2005. Through a series of drainages, the outfall from the plant eventually discharged into Crab Orchard Lake. The wastewater treatment plant and surrounding area, which covers approximately 50 acres, became contaminated with hazardous substances, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, heavy metals, pesticides, and dioxins. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in collaboration [...]