Waukegan, Illinois and the Outboard Marine Corporation

Waukegan, Illinois, a small northern suburb town, was once home to the Outboard Marine Corporation (O.M.C), which served as the economic heart and soul of the community from the 1940s until the mid-1970s. At its peak, O.M.C employed over 5,000 workers and was a major contributor to the prosperity of Waukegan. However, this prosperity came at a cost - the corporation was allowed to dump millions of gallons of toxic sludge into Lake Michigan, contaminating the water with harmful substances such as Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB), Arsenic, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Ammonia, Benzene, and Trichloroethylene toxins.

The discovery of this appalling pollution in the 1970s turned Waukegan Harbor into the Chernobyl of the Midwest. The city, located north of Chicago and dependent on Lake Michigan for drinking water, exposed millions of people to these toxins for over 20 years. The health risks associated with exposure to these contaminants are severe, with Arsenic and PCB linked to various diseases including skin, breast, bladder, lung, and kidney cancers, while Hydrocarbons can cause lung, skin, leukemia, breast, throat, and larynx cancers.

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In 1993, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared that the site was mostly cleaned up, although deep underwater deposits of toxins still remained. The clean-up efforts were funded by taxpayers through the United States EPA Superfund. O.M.C ceased operations in 2000, leaving behind a massive plant on 1,000 acres of highly toxic land. Despite the EPA's assurance that there was no public health hazard due to limited access to the site, the contamination remained a concern.

The original plans for the site involved transforming it into a recreational area or native habitat, but given Waukegan's economic decline, there is a strong argument for converting the land into residential areas. This would generate significant tax revenue for the struggling city, but the cost of the required mass clean-up would be substantial, running into millions of dollars. The process of mechanical dredging, draining, and transferring topsoil to landfills could further add pollutants to the already fragile environment.

A more sustainable and cost-effective solution lies in the horticultural practice of Phytoremediation. This method involves using plants as natural vacuums to absorb and neutralize toxins from the soil, rendering them harmless. Certain plants, known as Hyperaccumulants, have the unique ability to combat deadly toxins effectively. While the list of Hyperaccumulants is limited, non-native species can also be used for Phytoremediation, provided they are carefully monitored to prevent them from becoming invasive.

Plants such as willow and poplar are effective in removing heavy metals from the soil, while the Wild Lupine (Lupinus Albus) can eliminate arsenic. Buffalo Grass (Buchloe Dactyloides) is a perennial grass that targets hydrocarbons, and the deep-rooted perennial herb White Clover (Trifolium Repens) can remove hydrocarbons and PCBs. Phytoremediation offers a sustainable approach to cleaning up contaminated sites, as the plants absorb toxins through their roots and transfer them to their stems and leaves. These above-ground parts can then be collected and destroyed, while the root systems continue to leach out toxins, degrading or eliminating them over time.

Compared to mechanical methods, Phytoremediation is less harmful to the environment and more cost-effective. By utilizing this method, Waukegan could not only address the contamination left behind by O.M.C but also transform the toxic site into a safe and habitable space for its residents. It is imperative that sustainable solutions like Phytoremediation are considered in remediation efforts to ensure the long-term health and well-being of communities affected by industrial pollution.

References

• NCBI - Health Risks of Arsenic Exposure
• EPA - Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
• NCBI - Health Effects of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
• USGS - Benzene Toxics and Environmental Health Program