Preserving Chicago Southland's
History Through Research & Education
Crestwood Water Crisis
By Alex Szczender
Residents of Crestwood unknowingly drank contaminated water for decades. The officials responsible for the public water supply intentionally used contaminated well water to save money, putting the public's health at risk from 1985-2007.
What Happened in Crestwood?
On April 19, 2009, residents of Crestwood discovered they had been drinking contaminated water for 22 years. They did not find out from their mayors during that time, Chester and Robert Stranczek, their certified water operator, Frank Scaccia, their water department clerk and supervisor Theresa Neubaur, or the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. They found out through the Chicago Tribune, who reported about the decades of water contamination after a concerned mother spent years investigating why her children developed serious health problems.
It began in 1985, when routine testing found unsafe contaminants related to the dry-cleaning solvent perchloroethene (PCE) in Community Well #1. The nearby dry-cleaners, Playfield Cleaners, improperly disposed of PCE. The chemical then seeped through the soil into the groundwater supplying Well #1. Those chemicals are known to cause health problems such as neurological issues, kidney disease, liver disease, and increased cancer risk. That year, Crestwood officials announced they would exclusively buy treated Lake Michigan water from Alsip. Village officials secretly and illegally continued to use the well water to supplement purchased water from Lake Michigan to save money. The Illinois EPA had no longer required regular testing of the well since officials put it on back-up status. Between November 1985-January 2009, the well was tested only 10 times.
Health Consultation, 2011
In 2007, the Illinois EPA started an initiative to test all emergency back-up wells in the state in case they needed to be used. When testing Community Well #1 in Crestwood, a new chemical appeared: vinyl chloride. This contaminant is a known carcinogen; no amount is safe. The Illinois EPA began an investigation in Crestwood. By comparing the Lake Michigan water billing records and the Crestwood water distribution records from 2007 the Illinois EPA found that the well was in use and started enforcement actions. The well was shut off in December 2007. Crestwood public water supply users remain in the dark about the contamination.
November 2007 Inspection Report
Crestwood resident and mother Tricia Krause began investigating her children’s illnesses in 1999. Her children regularly faced serious illnesses, including cancer. They had no family history of these diseases. Tim Janecyk, who was angry with Crestwood politics after his wife’s arrest, initiated a tip to Krause about the water supply. They began investigating together in 2007. They reached out to the Tribune in 2009 with what they found.
The Illinois Department of Public Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease conducted a cancer incidence report for Crestwood, published in March 2010. They noted a statistically significant increase in kidney and GI cancer in men, and lung cancer rates in both men and women. However, they were unable to give the residents answers about why they became sick. The study only reports the number of cancer diagnoses in Crestwood. Due to the lack of testing, they will never know exactly how many contaminants they drank for how long.
Health Consultation, 2011
Two officials were charged in the water contamination case: Frank Scaccia and Theresa Neubauer. Chester Stranczek avoided charges based on health issues. The Stranczeks and Neubauer hired expensive lawyers while the residents paid the bill after the village voted to pay their legal fees. After pleading guilty in 2013, Frank Scaccia was sentenced to two years of probation and 6 months of house arrest. A jury found Neubauer guilty, and she received 2 years of probation and 200 hours of community service.
The Tribune article received widespread response from government officials. But where was the government over the last two decades? In the Village of Crestwood, Chester Stranczek was praised for how he managed Crestwood as a business. He was able to save enough money to begin giving residents a refund on the village portion of their property tax bill in 1993. Little did they know their mayor was saving them money at the cost of their health. When Chester stepped down as mayor in 2007, he appointed his son, Robert, to take over the mayor’s office. In 2007, the Illinois EPA director Doug Scott had stopped sending cases to the Attorney General’s office due to a political feud. This allowed Crestwood officials to avoid serious penalties and negative media attention that would come with a criminal investigation.
A small business owner’s pollution, local government corruption, and state-level negligence culminated into the Crestwood water scandal when a journalist revealed the public water supply used contaminated water for over two decades. The owner of Playfield Cleaners improper disposal of PCE contaminated the groundwater supply. In the 24 years between 1985 and 2009, not a single local official decided the health and safety of residents was more important than saving money and their reputations. Once the state government knew about the illegal use of Well #1, they did not pursue charges out of spite for the Attorney General. Once exposed, state officials jumped in with apologizes, reassurances, and legislation that came too late for Crestwood residents. Laws were violated when using the contaminated well; if no one is paying attention, what is stopping officials from violating new protections? In the case of Crestwood, political corruption and negligence became a public health hazard.