City Prepares to Remove Contaminated Oil

By Gordon HopkinsMonday morning, April 21, Fairbury City staff wrapped approximately 50 barrels of used oil in plastic and placed them on wooden pallets in preparation to have them moved and properly disposed.That oil originally came from the City of Fairbury’s now-demolished oil storage tank before being taken to private property belonging to the late Dennis Johnson more than two years ago, where they have been sitting out in the open for more than two years. That oil is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a known carcinogen.The city has made arrangements with Sunbelt Solomon, a company approved by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to recycle and dispose of used oil, to remove and dispose of the oil. The date for removal has not yet been scheduled. The City of Fairbury will be paying for the removal. Fairbury Mayor Kelly Davis confirmed this to FJN. On January 24, 2025, the mayor said, “We are getting a quote on the removal and proper disposal of the oil, and the city will pay for it.”The oil had been offered to Johnson by Fairbury’s previous mayor, Spencer Brown, according to Mayor Davis. However, most of the oil could not be burned as it is too thick.“There was oil that evidently was the top of the tanks contents that was a lot thinner than the bottom part of the content of the tank, and it was burnable, and it was used up,” Davis told FJN. “They then decided they would take the rest, which was the bottom of the tank and was much thicker, and is the stuff out there now and is too thick for them to use in their oil burners.”The city is awaiting a cost estimate.On May 10, 2024, Sunbelt Solomon removed 45 barrels of oil from city property.The city was billed $4,853.63.Some of the oil remains unaccounted for. On April 11, 2023, FJN observed that some of the oil barrels had been removed from city property. When asked where they had been taken, former Mayor Spencer Brown responded by Facebook Messenger, “If I recall it’s an asphalt company that is taking some, we had someone in thayer Co (sic) take some for their shop as well.”Brown did not provide the names of who had taken the oil or any other details.

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