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Investigations
Contamination First Discovered
Lake Michigan was the documented primary water source for Crestwood starting in 1973. They bought treated Lake Michigan water from the neighboring community of Alsip, who got their water directly from Chicago. By 1982, Crestwood discovered they had major leakage in their system and begun adding water from Well #1 to their public water supply. In November 1985, regular testing for contaminants found breakdown products of the dry-cleaning solvent, PCE, in the water. The contamination was confirmed through two more tests, one by Crestwood in August of 1986 and another by Illinois EPA in November 1986. In 1986, the village announced they would only use Lake Michigan water.
Beginning of the Illinois EPA investigation:
In September 2007, the Illinois EPA stopped sending cases to the Attorney General’s office for prosecution due to a political grudge held by the Illinois EPA director Doug Scott. They also started a campaign to test emergency back-up wells across the state, which did not previously require testing. Crestwood’s well is tested in September. The Illinois EPA finds vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen, in the well water. They test again in October and find vinyl chloride present at over double the maximum contaminant level.
The day before the scheduled inspection of the Crestwood Public Water Supply, the Illinois EPA received an anonymous tip that the well remained in constant use.
Illinois EPA complaint record, November 2007
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Inspection Report, November 2007
The village was required to submit a detailed response describing the changes they are making to come into compliance. The response from the village in April, 2008 was considered an unacceptable response since it did not meet the requirements by Illinois EPA. The evaluation report was then sent to be considered for a violation notice.
During the inspection on November 7, 2007, the inspector confirmed that Well #1 could be pumped directly into the distribution system. The village stopped using well water following the inspection. In addition to the well contamination, Crestwood had four other deficiencies in their water system.
Email correspondence between the Village of Crestwood and the Illinois EPA
Email correspondence between the Village of Crestwood and the Illinois EPA, April 2008
The Investigation Picks Up
April 2008 testing by the Illinois EPA further confirmed contamination. In June, they recommended the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) issue a warning to private well users. In August, IDPH made the announcement suggesting private well owners in the area test their wells after groundwater contamination was found. They assured public water supply users they weren’t affected. Residents were not informed about the ongoing investigation. That same month, Frank Scaccia, the village’s certified water operator, admitted to using the well. Through her own investigating, Tricia Krause discovered the water contamination. In February of 2009, she emailed a letter to Attorney General Madigan, Governor Quinn, and Senator Durbin demanding an investigation, answers, and accountability. In March, Madigan received a ledger containing pumping data from the well. The well was properly abandoned in March 2009. On March 24, the Illinois EPA is able to confirm the well was in use by comparing the quantity of water purchased from Alsip with the water pumped from Crestwood. The next day, Crestwood received a violation notice from the Illinois EPA for not including all sources of water in their consumer confidence reports.
The Investigation Goes Public
​Up until the Tribune released their story, the investigation was secretive. Director of the Illinois EPA, Doug Scott, issued a statement claiming the water was safe and there was no health risk. Following pushback from residents and elected officials, the Illinois EPA ramped up their investigation and started providing regular updates. On May 1st, 2009, the Illinois EPA published a fact sheet informing the public about the investigation that had started in 2007. They released 4 more updates on their investigative actions that year.
In June, to decide the extent of the contamination, the Illinois EPA collected four soil and 10 shallow groundwater samples from the area around Playfield Cleaners. From these samples, they confirmed there was no current exposure.
Sampling Activities at Abandoned Crestwood Well #1, Attachment 7
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Sampling Activities at Abandoned Crestwood Well #1, Attachment 9
A bedrock well was installed in September. It was drilled 47 feet below the ground surface into the fractured bedrock between Well #1 and the cleaners. Two samples of the groundwater were taken between 39-49 feet deep. Vinyl chloride was found at an average concentration of 55.7 pp. This confirmed Playfield Cleaners as the contamination source.
Illinois EPA Update 3
Federal Investigation
Following the Tribune’s article, all eyes were on Crestwood. Federal agents raided Crestwood government offices on April 29, 2009. They began searching for evidence of environmental crimes. Burke Engineering, Crestwood’s engineering firm, was raided on June 25. A special grand jury indicted Frank Scaccia and Theresa Neubaur in July 2010. Scaccia was the certified water operator responsible for the Crestwood facility. His responsibilities included ensuring the water provided by the village met all federal and state requirements. Neubaur at the time of investigation worked as the police chief. She was previously employed as the water department clerk and supervisor. She shared responsibility for the consumer confidence reports and monthly operating reports that listed Lake Michigan as the only water source. The two faced 23 federal charges related to the cover up.
Scaccia pleaded guilty to one count before going to trial. Neubauer was on paid leave during the investigation, and had her legal fees paid for by the village. Despite her insistence that she was a mere scapegoat, after a weeklong trial the jury found Neubauer guilty. Both officials were sentenced to two years of probation. Scaccia served 6 months of home confinement. Neubauer received a $2,000 fine and had to complete 200 hours of community service
No one served prison time for the decades of evading EPA requirements, lying to government officials, and serving their residents contaminated water. Chester Stranczek, the mayor of Crestwood for over 30 years, avoided any consequences.