BELVIDERE MUNICIPAL LANDFILL #1
BELVIDERE, BOONE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
CONCLUSIONS
The Belvidere Municipal Landfill site in Belvidere, Illinois, poses no apparent public health hazard at this time. Estimates of past and present exposures from site-related contaminants do not exceed any health-based reference values. Furthermore, there are no community-specific health outcome data, to date, to indicate that the site has had an adverse impact on human health.
Several private wells in the area of the site have demonstrated past contamination with nitrite, however, this contamination has not been verified. Recent sampling demonstrated no nitrite contamination and nitrate concentrations below levels of health concern. Potential health effects associated with consumption of this water may have had a minor impact on infants up to 6 months of age in the affected homes if the water was used to mix baby formula. No cases of methemoglobinemia in Belvidere, however, have been reported to the Boone County Health Department. No long-term health effects would be expected from consumption of this water and children older than 6 months and adults would not be expected to experience any health effects from consumption of the water.
IDPH has determined that sufficient data are available for all environmental media to which humans are being exposed to accurately evaluate possible public health implications associate with this site. If data becomes available in the future that suggests human exposure to site-related contaminants has increased, IDPH will re-evaluate the health concerns for these exposures. The remedial activities that have been performed at the site have reduced contaminant migration and the potential for future human exposures. IDPH will continue to evaluate monitoring data for this site and, assess public health if contaminant migration increases in off-site media.
IDPH recommends continued monitoring of on- and off-site environmental media at the Belvidere Landfill site. This monitoring should include the following:
Health Activities Recommendation Panel (HARP) Recommendations
In accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 as amended, ATSDR and the state of Illinois have evaluated the Belvidere Municipal Landfill Site for appropriate health follow-up actions. The panel has recommended that IDPH provide information to area residents about the potential adverse health effects associated with drinking water from private wells containing elevated levels of nitrites. No further actions were recommended at this time.
Public Health Actions
No public health actions are being undertaken at this time since the Boone County Health
Department is actively informing Boone County residents of the potential adverse health effects
associated with drinking water contaminated with nitrates/nitrites. Should more data become
available, IDPH will re-evaluate this site and public health actions.
| Preparers: | Kenneth G. McCann
C. Michael Moomey Environmental Toxicologists Illinois Department of Public Health |
| Reviewer: | Bruce C. Barrow
Environmental Toxicologist Illinois Department of Public Health |
| ATSDR REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE | |
| Louise Fabinski Regional Operations Office of the Assistant Administrator | |
| ATSDR TECHNICAL PROJECT OFFICER | |
| William Greim
Environmental Health Scientist Division of Health Assessment and Consultation | |
The Belvidere Municipal Landfill #1 Public Health Assessment was prepared by the Illinois Department of Public Health under a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). It is in accordance with approved methodology and procedures existing at the time the public health assessment was begun.
William Greim, M.S., M.P.H
Technical Project Officer
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation (DHAC)
ATSDR
The Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, ATSDR, has reviewed this public health assessment, and concurs with its findings.
Richard Gillig
for Robert C. Williams, P.E., DEE
Director, DHAC, ATSDR
