Asbestos Sand Cleaning Initiative
In Waukegan, Illinios, there has been an a shoreline asbestos problem from just above the Wisconsin state line through Waukegan for many years and now the lethal material is cropping up in Chicago as well. However, local company, Midwest Generation, has initiated a pilot project to clean sand contaminated with asbestos, which they hope will help provide a regional solution to the asbestos problem.
If successful, the project, which includes sifting sand in a controlled environment to remove asbestos containing materials, could provide a positive alternative to landfilling contaminated sand.
A spokesman for the company said that, if the pilot project is successful, the sand might be appropriate for use in road projects such as the construction of roadbeds and airport runways.
The pilot project has received a permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which allows Midwest Generation to test up to 15,000 cubic yards of sand that has been dredged from the company's lake-front intake canal.