Olympic Oil Ltd. will be required under a recent court order to remediate contaminated soil and groundwater at the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal after a series of alleged spills during the summer.
“This order will ensure the company takes the necessary steps to clean up the waterway and to prevent future overflows from contaminating the surrounding area,” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said.
The order, which was filed on Friday in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges that the Olympic Oil facility has been leaking oil and other pollutants at an unknown rate, resulting in contaminated stormwater flooding into Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The oil company works with petroleum lubricating oil and antifreeze products.
In addition to cleaning the polluted areas, Olympic Oil is also required under the order to take action to prevent further spills and seepage.
A report detailing the cleanup efforts, proof of the proper disposal of the polluted materials and documented water and soil sampling to ensure the contamination has been resolved must be submitted to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Attorney General’s office.
A status hearing will be held on Dec. 4.