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Nearly a year after a massive toxic asphalt spill contaminated the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, a dispute has emerged between federal regulators and local officials regarding the conclusion of cleanup efforts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently ended its active oversight of the site, a move that has drawn sharp objections from the Illinois EPA and environmental advocates who argue the cleanup is far from complete.
The incident began in February when a storage tank failure at the Petroleum Fuel & Terminal Co. in Lemont, Illinois, released approximately 500,000 gallons of liquid asphalt. The toxic material poured into the canal, cooling and hardening into a thick sludge that coated miles of shoreline and sank to the waterway’s bottom.
According to federal reports, the U.S. EPA determined that “significant work had been completed” and that the remaining material “no longer poses a substantial threat to the public health or welfare.” Consequently, the federal agency transitioned control of the remaining remediation to state authorities and the private company responsible for the spill.
However, Illinois EPA Director James Jennings and local advocacy groups, including Friends of the Chicago River, strongly disagree with the federal withdrawal. State regulators contend that the cleanup is unfinished, pointing to sticky asphalt still visible along the banks and embedded in the canal’s sediment. In a formal letter, Jennings urged the U.S. EPA to maintain its leadership role until the shoreline is fully restored, citing ongoing risks to water quality and wildlife.
During the initial response, crews removed over 1,000 tons of hazardous material, and wildlife responders treated dozens of animals, including ducks and water snakes found coated in the oily substance. Despite these efforts, local advocates warn that leaving the remaining asphalt could have long-term ecological consequences for the canal, which has seen returning biodiversity in recent years. The Illinois EPA has indicated it will continue to monitor the situation but maintains that federal resources remain necessary to ensure a comprehensive cleanup.
