Lake Barrington helping EPA clean up Tarkowski property

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Updated: February 17, 2012 10:29AM

An Illinois Environmental Protection Agency contractor has begun to finish cleanup of a dump site that has plagued the Wauconda area for decades.

The cleanup of the so-called Tarkowski property, 27275 W. Lakeview Drive South, in Wauconda Township, is expected to take four to six weeks, weather permitting.

The EPA is working with the village of Lake Barrington through an intergovernmental agreement to complete cleanup of the 16-acre site owned by John Tarkowski. While in unincorporated Lake County, west of routes 51 and 12, the property is surrounded by Lake Barrington.

Tarkowski had been illegally receiving waste material, including hazardous wastes, on his property since the late 1960s, according to public records. At one time, the land contained more than 10,000 used tires.

“The neighbors and the community have endured this mess too long,” Illinois EPA Interim Director John Kim said Thursday.

The last phase of the cleanup is being funded through a $430,000 state grant. Remaining wastes will be removed and disposed of in a permitted landfill. Any recyclable materials will be separated and recycled to help defray the overall cost of the cleanup.

“These funds will address a vital environmental objective for the village and help assure that the ground water in the northern part of our community remains protected,” said Lake Barrington Village President Kevin Richardson.

In 2004, the Illinois EPA confirmed through surveillance that Tarkowski was allowing trucks hauling various waste materials to illegally dump waste on his property. Subsequent court hearings resulted in Tarkowski ordered to pay a $150,000 penalty and conduct a systematic cleanup of the property. Tarkowski ignored the order and continued to allow dumping on the property.

In July 2006, the state EPA sealed the site, but Tarkowski removed the seal order sign within a few days. He removed it again after agency officials replaced it.

Cost recovery actions are currently pending with the Illinois Attorney General’s office, and environmental liens have been placed on the property.

In 2006, the Illinois EPA conducted a partial cleanup of the site which included removing the tires and disposing of liquid waste containers and car batteries. An assortment of scrap metals and other materials also were removed.