Water leak at former Tinley Park Mental Health Center prompts concerns of possible well contamination
The SouthtownStarMay 11, 2021
May 11—Tinley Park officials say a water main break at the former Tinley Park Mental Health Center has spilled more than 2 million gallons and there is concern about possible contamination of nearby wells.
The water is discharging into a storm sewer as well as the adjacent
The property is northwest of
"We're incredibly concerned about the immediate health and safety risk this is posing,"
Officials were not available Monday for an update.
The hospital and adjacent Howe Developmental Center closed in 2012, and the village has cited the state for environmental issues such as the presence of asbestos on the property.
The state's Rebuild Illinois capital program has also designated
In late 2019, the village sent letters to the
The village asked the agency to rid the site of contaminants such as asbestos and secure the 280-acre property with a fence.
In a bid to gain greater control over how the site might be redeveloped,
One proposal included building more than 400 single-family homes described as active adult, age-restricted housing targeting buyers 55 and older, as well as a 200-unit luxury senior apartment building.
In early 2019, gears shifted to a
However, in
The village had previously estimated the cost of getting the site ready for development, including environmental cleanup and demolition of the dozens of buildings on the property, at
Testing completed in 2014 revealed environmental issues such as an abandoned sewage treatment plant, leaking underground storage tanks holding gasoline and other petroleum products, drums containing chemicals and soil contaminated with mercury and lead.
___
(c)2021 The Daily Southtown (Tinley Park, Ill.)
Visit The Daily Southtown (Tinley Park, Ill.) at www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.