ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The city is assessing a former gas station and automotive repair garage in the 1600 block of North Main Street for possible contamination as part of its ongoing brownfields revitalization efforts.
This week, crews first used ground-penetrating radar to locate potential former underground storage tank areas. A Geoprobe then extracted soil cores from the subsurface so samples could be collected and analyzed by a state-accredited laboratory for evidence of contaminants.
Brownfields are underutilized properties where reuse or redevelopment is hindered by perceived or known contamination. Understanding any environmental impact allows a site to be engineered and cleaned up to prevent potential exposure to future occupants, according to the city…