Home / Environment / Radioactive Creek Cleared After Decades of Pollution
Radioactive Creek Cleared After Decades of Pollution
4 Oct
Summary
- A 6.7-mile DuPage County waterway is free of Superfund status.
- Decades of radioactive contamination linked to former industrial facility resolved.
- The site was formally removed from the National Priorities List in August 2026.
In DuPage County, Illinois, a 6.7-mile section of Kress Creek and the West Branch of the DuPage River has been officially removed from the US Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List. This significant milestone, achieved in August 2026, marks the conclusion of the Superfund response actions for the site, which had been contaminated by radioactive materials for decades. The contamination was traced back to the former Rare Earths Facility in West Chicago, which operated from 1932 to 1973 and processed rare earth elements and radioactive materials.
Cleanup efforts at the Kress Creek site began in 2005, involving the removal of over 129,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sediment. Restoration of the affected creek and river sections with clean backfill and vegetation continued through 2025. This waterway was one of four sites in the West Chicago area addressing radioactive waste from the former facility. Two other sites, Reed-Keppler Park and the Sewage Treatment Plant, were previously removed from the National Priorities List in 2010 and 2013, respectively.
While the Kress Creek delisting is a major step, the Residential Areas site associated with the former facility remains on the National Priorities List. The removal from the list does not imply the complete eradication of all historical contamination but confirms that no further Superfund-directed actions are needed for protection. Local officials and the EPA celebrated the delisting on September 3, 2026, recognizing the completion of a cleanup that has spanned decades.
