Mold Removal & Remediation near Chicago, Illinois

Public Act 095-0456

SB1257 Enrolled LRB095 06869 CMK 26988 b

    AN ACT concerning public safety.

     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Mold Remediation Registration Act.

    Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:

        (1) Excessive indoor dampness in buildings is a widespread problem that warrants action at the local, State, and national levels.

        (2) Because of the public's concern about the possible public health effects of exposure to mold in buildings, as well as the effects on workers performing remediation work, and the costs of remediation for the property owner, there is a need to identify parties performing mold remediation in the State.

        (3) Because there is a need to reduce moisture that fosters mold formation in buildings, the State should review current State building codes to ensure that they do not foster mold.

        (4) Parties providing mold remediation services in residential, public, and commercial buildings in Illinois should be required to register with the State and provide proof of financial responsibility.

        (5) Laboratories performing tests to confirm mold contamination in buildings should be certified by the American Industrial Hygiene Association using nationally recognized accreditation standards set under the Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Accreditation Program.

    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

    "Department" means the Department of Public Health. "Mold remediation" means the removal, cleaning, sanitizing, demolition, or other treatment, including preventive activities, of mold or mold-containment matter in buildings.

    "Preventative activities" include those intended to prevent future mold contamination of a remediated area, including applying biocides or anti-microbial compounds.

    Section 15. Reporting requirement. The Department must report to the Environment and Energy Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate, on an annual basis, concerning the implementation of any federal regulations that establish:

        (1) scientific evidence concerning any health effects associated with fungi, bacteria, and their byproducts in indoor environments including any indoor air quality standard; and

        (2) standards for the training, certification, and licensing of parties providing mold remediation services in residential, public, and commercial buildings.  

    Section 20. Rules. The Department may adopt rules, under the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, to implement a program establishing procedures for parties that provide mold remediation services to register with the State and provide evidence of financial responsibility.

    Section 25. Exemptions. The provisions of this Act shall not apply to (i) home builders and remodelers performing work on any residential structure, consisting of 4 or fewer residential units, under the period and terms of the written warranty of that residential structure or (ii) persons licensed in accordance with the Structural Pest Control Act.

    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2008.

EPA proposes Cedarburg, Wis., site for Superfund National Priorities List

Release date: 04/08/2009

Contact Information: William Omohundro,312-353-8254, Susan Pastor, 312-353-1325

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 09-OPA 050

CHICAGO (April 8, 2009) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed adding the Amcast Industrial Corp. site in Cedarburg, Wis., to the Superfund National Priorities List of hazardous waste sites. Superfund is the federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex uncontrolled and abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country. A public comment period about the proposed listing ends June 8, 2009.

Two other sites in EPA Region 5 were proposed for the NPL: Lane Street Ground Water Contamination site, Elkhart, Ind., and the Little Scioto River site, Marion County, Ohio. Three previously proposed Region 5 sites were formally added to the NPL: East Chicago, Ind.'s U.S. Smelter and Lead Refinery site; the Behr Dayton Thermal System VOC Plume site in Dayton, Ohio; and the New Carlisle Landfill in New Carlisle, OH. Nationally, nine new sites were added to the NPL, bringing the total to 1,264, and 13 sites were proposed for addition to the list, bringing the total of proposed sites to 67. Under the NPL process, sites are first proposed and public comments considered before a determination is made to formally add a site to the list. The NPL is updated twice each year.

Amcast, at N39 W5789 Hamilton Road, was an automotive aluminum die-casting facility from 1939 to 2004, when the company filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11. PCB contamination from Amcast's operations polluted the plant property, and adjacent sewers, a pond in a nearby park, a retention pond, some nearby private properties and sediment in Cedar Creek. It may also have reached the Milwaukee River, a distance of five creek miles away.

Until now, Cedar Creek Superfund site encompassed both areas impacted by Amcast and Mercury Marine's now-demolished Plant 2 building (which also contributed PCB contamination to Cedar Creek). If added to the NPL, the Amcast site will be eligible for further analysis and development of cleanup options for the former plant site. EPA will work in partnership with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. See additional background and site documents for Amcast at http://www.epa.gov/region5/sites/cedarcreek/index.htm.

A 60-day comment period on the newly proposed NPL sites is under way. Links to the Federal Register notice, information on submitting comments, background on the NPL process and summaries of the sites newly added or proposed are at http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm.

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