Area residents are invited to visit the Ameren Illinois environmental project at the site of a former gas manufacturing plant located at 220 N. Monroe Street on Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Visitors will be able to walk through the special temporary air containment structure that has been erected for the project. The structure, known as a “tent,” encloses the work area where impacted soil will be removed. Representatives of Ameren Illinois, the project contractor and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be present to explain project details and answer questions.
The plant was opened in 1904 by the Clinton Gas Company. It was acquired by Illinois Power & Light Corporation, a predecessor company of Illinois Power Corporation (IP), in 1926. The facility manufactured gas until 1941.
Demolition of the gas plant facilities occurred from 1945 to 1966. The gas plant property originally included only the northwest, southwest and southeast quarters of the block. The northeast portion was acquired by IP in the 1960’s. The Ameren Illinois service area building that formerly occupied the western portion of the property was built by IP in 1967. Illinois Power was acquired by Ameren Corporation 2004.
Gas manufacturing in Clinton used a process where steam was passed over incandescent coke to produce what was called water gas, consisting mostly of hydrogen. The process was improved by adding additional hydrocarbons to the gas flow, called carbureted water gas. The gas was then passed through scrubbers and purifiers to remove impurities so the gas would burn cleanly with no odors. The produced gas was stored on site in large cylindrical tanks known as gasholders. Gas was distributed to the community from these gasholders. As with many industrial processes, gas manufacturing produced byproduct residues. Tars, oils and purifier wastes were the primary residues of the gas manufacturing process.
Ameren Illinois believes it is prudent and in the public interest to voluntarily remove manufactured gas plant residuals and impacted soil. Excavated areas will be backfilled with clean soil brought to the site from an off-site location. The Illinois EPA is monitoring the work.
The tent structure has an impervious fabric roof and walls supported by metal framing. Overhead doors serve as entrances. The tent is designed to withstand high winds and storms. A ventilating system will maintain the inside air at a lower pressure than the outside air, which serves to minimize uncontrolled releases. Air will be vented to the outside through carbon filters that capture dust and vapors. The enclosure and its filtering system will significantly reduce the vapors and possibility of tar-like odors in the area.
Ameren Illinois has placed a collection of documents associated with the site work in a Site Information Repository located at the reference desk of the Vespasian Warner Library at 310 North Quincy Street. Additional documents will be added to the Site Information Repository as Ameren Illinois completes them. The telephone number of the library is 1-217-935-5174.
Ameren Illinois has been providing energy delivery service for more than a century. We deliver energy to 1.2 million electric and 813,000 natural gas customers in downstate Illinois, and our mission is to meet their energy needs in a safe, reliable, efficient and environmentally responsible manner. Our service area covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles. For more information, visit AmerenIllinois.com.
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Contact: Leigh Morris, 1-217-535-5228, lmorris@ameren.com