Background

Supplies of natural gas, which many of us take for granted today, were not always available in Illinois. In fact, beginning in the mid-1800s, gas was manufactured from coal and oil.

Operators, using processes developed in England, began producing manufactured gas or “town gas” to provide energy for cooking, lighting, heating, and later, industrial applications. Cleaner and safer than wood or oil, manufactured gas dramatically improved people’s lives. Eventually, as demand for manufactured gas grew, more than 1,500 plants operated throughout the United States.

By the early to mid-1900s, development of natural gas resources changed the need for manufactured gas. In the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, construction of interstate pipelines made cheaper and more efficient natural gas available throughout the country. Consequently, the need for manufactured gas production declined. Operators shut down their plants and, in some cases, sold their production sites. By the 1960s, manufactured gas ceased to be an energy source in northern Illinois.

As with most manufacturing processes, gas production created byproducts – primarily tar.  Tar was typically stored in underground structures at plant sites and sold for use in road paving, roofing materials and other commercial products. When the plants closed, operators commonly left tar and other residues at the production sites. The environmental effects of tar or other plant residues were not of concern at the time these plants closed.

In recent years, we – as a nation – have become more sensitive to environmental issues.  We want to make sure that byproducts from past operations, such as tar, are not adversely affecting the environment.