La Salle to test 6 more residences for chemicals in the aftermath of Carus fire

The La Salle City Council agreed unanimously to take six interior and exterior tests of homes for chemicals in the aftermath of the Jan. 11 Carus Chemical fire, using the independent consultant it recently hired.

About 30 residents showed up to Tuesday’s City Council meeting, expressing concerns for their health and presenting the council with information from other independent sources.

“It’s about time we’re being heard,” said Jamie Hicks, a La Salle resident who lives on Porter Avenue, who has raised environmental concerns since the fire. “I’m happy, because we can start moving forward, because we can’t look backwards anymore. The safety of the people is the most important.”

Carus did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Tuesday, however, in a letter dated Tuesday to La Salle Mayor Jeff Grove, Carus said it has been determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois EPA and La Salle County Health Department no further testing is necessary, wrote Lyndsey Bliss, VP of Human Resources.

After the fire, residents reported their houses, cars and driveways were covered in a chemical substance released from the plant. Carus Chemical reported it was an oxidant called potassium permanganate and it appeared as a brown-orange, green or purple color depending on its state.

That substance has been reported as non-toxic and used in drinking water, however, residents questioned how thorough the Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois EPA was in its testing.Resident Brianne Hicks, said she had a furnace air filter from her home tested by the Sierra Club - a non-profit environmental group - that returned with results that found other harmful elements and metals.

Hicks, who lives on Zinc Street near the plant, said she has an HVAC system that was installed in 2020 and she regularly changes her air filters.

Alderman Jordan Crane suggested Tuesday the city take the additional tests. The council wants to see if there are other homes with similar results, as well as test Hicks’ home.

“It would be a potential flashpoint for us after we see the results of the air filter tests,” Grove said after the meeting.

The City Council and city staff said they have operated based on what state and federal agencies have told them — that soil samples collected were within safe levels. Residents questioned if enough samples were taken.

The city hired an environmental engineer to take further samples. Two weeks ago, the city presented the findings from the 16 topsoil samples, two water samples and one granular sample. While the soil samples tested within normal levels, one water sample taken from rooftop runoff found elevated levels of the chemical that surpassed levels of safe drinking water.

These soil samples were taken from homes and parks most affected by the Carus fire and meant to be representative of the area, Deputy Clerk Brent Bader said at the council’s previous meeting. The water and granular samples were provided by specific concerned residents who wanted additional testing.

The testing, however, was limited in its scope, City Engineer Brian Brown said. It didn’t test for heavy metals, because city officials tested for manganese and potassium, chemicals believed to be involved in the fire. The new tests approved by a straw poll Tuesday will test for heavy metals, Brown confirmed.

There also were extra tests conducted Tuesday from residents as a result of conversations had at the previous council meeting. Brownfield already was scheduled to take a second round of tests at the properties previously tested to see how the levels compared. Tuesday’s tests also tested for heavy metals.

Seven residents addressed their concerns Tuesday in a format that resembled a town hall meeting with back-and-forth discussion between residents and council members.

La Salle resident Eric Dyas said his son is in the hospital with lung issues and doctors want to test his son’s blood to see if any chemicals released would be responsible for the issues.

Another resident Marty Schneider brought up health concerns with pets.

Residents have said in the past three meetings, including Tuesday, they were concerned whether it is safe to walk their dogs, let their children play, or spend any time outdoors.

At the council’s request, Hicks said he is going to invite the representative from the Sierra Club to share their expertise on the testing conducted by the group. City officials told residents they hope residents will share results and findings with the city in the future, so that the city can learn more about what questions to ask environmental or health agencies, or if further testing is necessary.

Crane, who represents the 4th Ward, which appears to be the most affected by the fire, said he is hopeful residents left with a positive outcome and that residents and the council will work together.

“It’s just starting to warm up and people will want to go in their yards and know it’s safe,” Crane said. “I understand why they are here and we’ve been listening to them the whole time. We just need to get more of the facts.”