Beginning in the 1850s, manufactured gas plants (MGPs) were built in cities throughout Illinois. These plants produced gas by heating coal or oil. The gas was used for lighting, cooking and heating. The MGPs were closed as natural gas became widely available.
As the MGPs were closed, equipment was removed and buildings were razed. However, some byproducts—primarily coal tar—of the manufactured gas process remained buried on the site. While this was in accordance with the practices of the time, today the location of these byproducts must be located, identified and removed. The Ameren Illinois Utilities conducts MGP site investigations and cleanups in accordance with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Voluntary Site Remediation Program.
The files found on this Web site are a collection of documents associated with the Champaign MGP Remediation Project. In addition to this Web site, Site Information Repositories are maintained at the Douglass Branch of the Champaign Public Library, 504 E. Grove Street, and at the Information Desk of the Champaign City Building, 102 N. Neil Street.
Additional inquiries about this project may be made by contact Mr. Leigh Morris of the Ameren Illinois Utilities at 217.535.5228 or by email at lmorris@ameren.com. His mailing address is Ameren Illinois Utilities, 200 W. Washington Street, Springfield IL 62701.
Inquiries regarding the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s oversight of this project may be made by contact Stan Black of the Illinois EPA at 217.785.1427 or by email at stan.blackj@illinois.gov. His mailing address is Office of Community Relations, Illinois EPA, PO Box 19276, Springfield IL 62794-9276.
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