In 2015 Cantera acquired an abandoned and dilapidated Brownfields site in Chicago’s up and coming Little Village neighborhood. Historically utilized by a bulk petroleum distributor and chemical company, the property was blighted due to the presence of a plethora of environmental contaminants (e.g., volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and PCBs) and decrepit condition of the building and grounds. A sophisticated remediation plan was developed, involving “hot spot” clean-up in the most heavily-affected areas, in-situ treatment to reduce contaminant levels in place and limit hazardous material landfilling, and the use of engineered barriers and institutional controls to eliminate exposure to residual impacts.

This complicated project involved dealing with a multitude of regulatory issues and agencies, as the site was threatened with enforcement action by the Illinois EPA and US EPA involvement was necessary due to the PCB impacts. After remediation and successfully negotiating the regulatory landmines, Cantera obtained a Comprehensive No Further Remediation for the property and redeveloped it with modern office space and warehousing facilities.