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“It can’t be assumed to be from Chemtool as the Superfund site is much larger than the area of Chemtool,� Martell said.

Superfund sites are federally designated areas where the Environmental Protection Agency investigates and cleans up sites contaminated by hazardous substances.

She said the Rock River has been used for years by industry, and people didn’t know what the impact would be from dumping in the river. Martell added there could be metals throughout the region.

It was announced Thursday that elevated levels of metals including antimony, cadmium, chromium and nickel were detected at the former Beloit Corporation Superfund site. The Chemtool plant located nearby at 1165 Prairie Hill Road burned for days starting June 14.

Chemtool occupied less than a third of the total Superfund site, which once was home to a facility run by Beloit Corporation. Martell said groundwater monitoring wells were put on the Superfund site between 1988 to 1990 to test for volatile organic compounds. Metals were not previously contaminants of concern at the site. As part of the Chemtool response, there was expanded testing done, which detected the presence of elevated metals.

State and local agencies announced 16 of the 20 monitoring wells detected heavy metals.

Martell said the wells where the groundwater is tested are not sources of drinking water for the public and that no metals were found in the municipal water supply for Rockton, which were tested June 21.

Initial private well sampling was conducted Thursday with results sent to Illinois state laboratories. Results will first be communicated to homeowners and then to the public. If there are elevated metals found in private wells, more extensive testing will be conducted in the area, Martell said.

Martell wouldn’t give specific amounts of heavy metals detected, referring the question to the Illinois EPA.

“They exceed what they expect to find in groundwater sampling,� she said.

Although people can wash with the water and use it for laundry or watering plants, Martell said it is not to be ingested or used for cooking or drinking as metals can be difficult for bodies to clear. Heavy metals could cause stress on organs that eliminate toxins such as the kidney and liver.

Martell said only about half of properties in the nearby Blackhawk Acres subdivision still use wells. Many have switched to village water, though some people might prefer the taste of well water and use it on occasion.

She said those at greatest risk of adverse affects would be those who have been drinking well water in the subdivision for years. New residents who don’t drink the water would be at lower risk.

Martell said the geology of the area is complex, and the proximity to the Rock River can cause variations in the flow of groundwater. Private wells might not necessarily be affected in the same way as the monitoring wells.

At FridayÃÛèÖÊÓƵ news conference, Martell said more than 2,000 responses to preliminary surveys regarding the Chemtool fireÃÛèÖÊÓƵ effects have been collected with more being distributed as information on pets and livestock is being collected.

During the Beloit Corp. Superfund siteÃÛèÖÊÓƵ remedial investigation, the state of Illinois funded the installation and maintenance of carbon filter treatment units for residences in the Blackhawk Acres subdivision to ensure residents would not be exposed to drinking water that could pose health risks. A majority of those residences connected to the village of Rockton community water supply and should no longer be using their private well water for drinking water.

The Chemtool plant, which manufactured grease and lubricants, erupted in fire June 14, sending a huge black cloud of smoke into the air. The facility reportedly stored about 4 million gallons of crude oil.