Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

The Air Force has completed removal and clean up measures at a former military base near Rantoul, Illinois, about 100 miles south of Chicago. The base opened in 1917 and was closed in 1993. Since its closure, the village of Rantoul has been dealing with cleaning up toxic materials from the abandoned base, including asbestos removal.  

 

Because the property is under lease to the village of Rantoul, years of arguing occurred over who was responsible for the clean up. Recently the Air Force decided to move forward with removing asbestos laden pipes for the concern of human health and safety.

 

The Air Force removed more than 6,000 feet of steam pipes that were covered with deteriorated asbestos insulation.  They also then excavated the underlying soils and removed it to an approved landfill. 

 

Asbestos was a widely used material before the 1980’s due to its heat, fire resistant, and insulating properties. It was heavily used in commercial and industrial applications, and commonly is found at abandoned sites. Asbestos is hazardous when it becomes friable, or in a condition that is easily crumbled or reduced to powder by hand pressure. Deteriorated asbestos, such as that on the steam pipes, becomes airborne and creates high risk of exposure. When inhaled, asbestos fibers penetrate into the lining of the lungs, heart and abdomen and cause several serious diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.

 

The Air Force left pipes that were below ground as threat of exposure is more limited. Residents of the area were hoping that more measures would be taken to see if toxic materials were being leaked into surrounding areas after heavy periods of rain, but so far there has been no action taken.