Thorium Cleanup Will Close Portion of McDowell Grove Forest Preserve

In order to remove radioactive contaminated waste located on the banks of the West Branch of the DuPage river, a portion of McDowell Grove Forest Preserve will close on April 1.

The process is part of the Remediation Action River Cleanup and will remove thorium-contaminated materials, which were deposited from the Rare Earths Facility in West Chicago between 1932 and 1973. 

During the cleanup process, McDowell Grove's main entrance, parking lot, bridge as well as a number of trails near the river will be closed. However, visitors will still be able to access the West Branch Regional Trail by entering McDowell Grove's south entrance.

"People will still be able to get in there, but they'll have to enter through the on-street trail connection," said Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Public Affairs Specialist Bonnie Olszewski. 

She added that paddlers can use the river at a put-in site at Fawell Dam, which can be reached off Raymond Drive.

Roughly seven to eight miles of waterways have been restored so far through the remediation process including Kress Creek and portions of the West Branch of the DuPage River. The large-scale project is expected to be completed in November of 2012 and has been a long time coming for the forest preserve. 

"It's been a long-term project and it's kind of had some ups and downs," Olszewski said.

Funding responsibilities for the cleanup have changed hands a number of times as Kerr-McGee Corp. transferred the work to Tronox, LLC, in 2006. But Tronox filed for bankruptcy in 2009. A year later various federal administrations formed the West Chicago Environmental Response Trust "to act as the fiduciary administrator over the remaining remediation," according to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. 

Forest preserve officials said the end result will enhance surroundings and provide an improved habitat for wildlife as well as visitors.

A map of the closed area can be viewed here. For more information call 630-933-7200, or visit www.dupageforest.org.