Reilly Tar & Chemical aka Vertellus

The Reilly Tar & Chemical (more recently known as Vertellus) Superfund site at 1500 S. Tibbs has been in our neighborhood for generations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has worked out an agreement with the new owners, 1500 S Tibbs LLC, to clean up the site. EPA is currently working to clean up groundwater in surrounding neighborhoods as well.

Draft Community Involvement Plan Open for Public Comments: Please Comment by September 10, 2024.

EPA conducted interviews with residents over the summer and is now looking for neighbors’ feedback on the Community Involvement Plan. See the draft here.

You are welcome to comment on any section of the document, but most neighbors are likely interested in Sections 2 and 3.

• Section 2 (page 10) focuses on The Community: Community History, Government Structure, Demographics, and Environmental Justice
• Section 3 (page 21) focuses on Community Involvement: Community Interviews, Community Involvement Activities

If you have questions, comments, or concerns about the plan or the site in general, you can contact Karen Chen at 312-886-6009 or at chen.karen01@epa.gov.

To learn more about the site, contaminants, and what’s been/is being done, visit the Reilly Tar & Chemical Corp. Superfund Site page.