State sues owner of local mobile home park

Earlier this week, the Macomb Journal reported that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a lawsuit against Stanley Dressler, owner of a mobile home park located just west of Macomb. The lawsuit alleges that Dressler violated state regulations concerning water provided at his property, Country Aire Estates Mobile Home Park.

From the Journal article:

Water is supplied to Country Aire Estates residents from two drilled rock wells with depths of 320 and 323 feet, supplying an average of 6,580 gallons of water per day to 125 consumers through 51 service connections.

The seven counts detail a laundry list of items the state alleges the park's owner has violated in providing a public water supply: coliform sampling, lead and copper sampling, nitrate sampling, disinfectant sampling, reporting, failure to provide continuous chlorination and equipment installation.

The suit, filed by Madigan's office at the request of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, seeks correction of the items that allegedly have been violated, as well as maximum fines for each violation, which run up to $50,000 for each violation and up to $10,000 for each day the violation has occurred.

"It's a pretty straight-forward set of violations," Scott Mulford, a spokesman for Madigan's office said Wednesday. "Some people there may not be aware of the problems."

The first count in the suit deals with coliform sampling and indicates the IEPA discovered in 2005 that the park exceeded the maximum contaminant level for coliform bacteria and failed to submit sample results. The IEPA then conducted an engineering inspection on June 27, 2006, and observed that the park's chlorination pump was not operating properly and that records weren't maintained. The suit also indicates the system lacked shutoff valves and adequate flushing hydrants and that the owner failed to routinely collect required samples from the wells, treatment plant and distribution system.

In the lead and copper sampling complaint, the state claims Dressler failed to submit results, which is similar to the complaints about nitrate and disinfectant sampling at the park.

The suit's allegations on reporting claim the state reviewed records on July 22, 2005, and discovered Dressler failed to issue public notices and public notice certification forms for a styrene, ethylbenzene and xylene violation and failed to issue a public notice for a violation for maximum contaminant level of coliform. The suit also alleges Dressler failed to submit monthly operating reports from October 2003 to March 2007, with the exception of August through October 2006.

Dressler, of Hinsdale, said Wednesday that he had not seen the suit.

"I know nothing about that," he said. "I thought I was in compliance with everything."

So far the only online reference I've seen to all this is on the Journal website. No word yet if any other news outlets have picked up on the story.