# ACME SOLVENT RECLAIMING INC. > **Judicial** · FY1990 · — · Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery ## Case - **Activity ID:** `27453` - **Case Number:** 05-1990-0170 - **Type:** Judicial - **Lead:** EPA - **Outcome:** Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery - **Penalty assessed:** $0 - **Cost recovery:** $1.01M - **Compliance action $:** — - **Multimedia (multi-env):** N ## Defendants - ACME SOLVENT (complaint) (settlement) - ROCKFORD (complaint) (settlement) ## Summary ACME SOLVENTS RECLAIMING, INC. IS A SOLVENT RECYCLER LO- CATED ON DOWMTOWN ROCKFORD, IL., THIER BUSINRESS PRACTICES BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 1960 AND 1972 WERE AS FOLLOWS: ACME TRUCKS WOULD PICK UP USED SOLVENTS FROM A VARIETY OF INDUS- TRIES LOCATED IN SOUTHERN WISCONSIN AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS; THE SOLVENTS WOULD BE RUN THROUGH A DISTILLATION PROCESS LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS; THE CLEANED SOL- VENTS WOULD THEN BE SOLD OR TRADED BACK TO THE COMPANIES FROM WHICH THEY HAD BEEN COLLECTED; THE STILL BOTTOMS WOULD BE SHIPPED IN EITHER DRUMS OR TANK TRUCKS TO THE ACME SOL- VENT SITE IN RURAL WINNEBAGO COUNTY AND DUMPED INTO SEVERAL UNLINED DISPOSAL LAGOONS. IN 1972, A NEARBY RESIDENT NOTICED THAT THE DRINKING WATER WAS TASTING AND SMELLING ODD AND NOTIFIED THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAMPLED THE WATER AND FOUND THAT IT WAS CONTAMINATED WITH VOLATILE ORGANIC COM- POUNDS (VOC). STUDY OF THE LOCAL HYDROGEOLOGY LEAD THE DEPARTMENT TO SUSPECT THAT THE SOURCE OF THE CONTAMINATION WAS THE ACME SITE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE ACME SITE BORE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CONTAMINA- TION. PRESSURE WAS BROUGHT BY THE ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND ACME CURTAILED ITS DISPOSAL OF STILL BOTTOMS AT THE SITE IN LATE 1972. IN 1983, THE UNITED STATES EPA PLACED THE ACME SITE ON THE NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST OF HAZARDOUS --- *Source: [EPA ECHO](https://echo.epa.gov/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*