State agencies are investigating concerns about possible volatile organic compounds in the ground in an area of downtown Algonquin.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Transportation and Village of Algonquin are working collaboratively to address the concerns, but full responsibility is now on the state to cleanup the site.

The environmental investigation revolves around residents’ concerns over soil and groundwater contamination east of the Toastmaster property at 401 Washington St., bordered by the Prairie Trail bike path to the west and south, Towne Park to the north and Route 31 to the east.

“Based on the data available at this time, no health risk has been identified," IEPA spokeswoman Tammy Mitchell said. “The purpose of the continued study is to determine whether a potential for the migration of vapors from groundwater through soil and into basements or crawl spaces exists.

Algonquin Village Manager Bill Ganek said the village’s role in the ongoing investigation is to serve as liaison with the public and assist the IEPA and IDOT in addressing the situation as quickly as possible.

“The village is committed to supporting the important work of the IEPA and IDOT on this issue,” he said.

Officials from the IEPA, IDOT and public health officials gave a short presentation about the contamination during a public meeting Nov. 12.

During that meeting, state officials said IDOT recently conducted soil and groundwater tests during the process of acquiring property in preparation for the Western Bypass.

Those tests revealed the presence of higher than normal levels of certain types of VOCs near the former Toastmaster site.

“Elevated levels of volatile organic compounds, heavy metals and other organic compounds found on the properties would have associated health risks if the public were exposed to them,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said neither the IEPA nor IDOT is aware of any private drinking water wells in the neighborhood where the VOCs have been found in the groundwater.

“The village’s water system is not impacted by the presence of VOCs in the groundwater in this area,” she said.

Cleanup of the Toastmaster property is slated to begin as a part of the Western Bypass project once the property has been acquired.

Algonquin officials said village staff has met with state legislators and IDOT representatives to discuss expediting the cleanup of the Toastmaster site.

The IEPA is continuing IDOT’s environmental investigation to determine whether there is a way that the public can be exposed to contamination from the site.

“If any information is revealed that would be of interest or concern to the public, those that are potentially affected will be informed and mitigation systems will be recommended,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said the state does not have a timeline at this point, but soil gas samplings will take place in December, with analysis results and date interpretation expected to be available February 2010.

By Lawerence Synett, Triblocal.com reporter