1. What might have caused the problem?

The main cause of the problem is gas leakage from the underground that eventually reach
the source of the wells and contaminate it. As I dig more throughout the case study, I
found out that one of the sources of the gas leakage is a former gas station. The pollution
mainly came from the underground petroleum storage tanks. The town of wedron has a
large sand mine that has been operating on the southern and western part of the town, this
mine includes a number of abandoned and active pits, processing plant, and a train car
loading facility. In the year of 1982 illinois decided to have an investigation about the
groundwater that can be found in the wells of the town, and after they got the result in the
small sample (the sample is tested for the presence of a family of chemicals called
volatile organic compound) that they get in the town it is decided to not use the well
anymore and wait until the clean up is possible, so in order for the town to have a safe
drinking water or clean water they built or drilled a deeper well that would supply clean
water for the affected homes.

2. How did the problem come to the attention of local residents? to the Local government official?
and to the state and US EPAs?
Based on the case study, It all started at a odor complaints of the residents of the area or
the town of Wedron in the water that came from the well which they have been using for
daily. After this complaint it alerted the local government official of Illinois which is the
Illinois Department of Health and the local government proceed in collecting
groundwater samples in the well of concerns in the town, this all happened in April 1982.
After examining the samples and reaching a conclusion in June- August 1983 and
confirmed the presence of chemicals found in gasoline because of this incident it also
alerted the US EPA and provide help for the town and continue observed what is
happening underground. In the year 2011, residents of Wedron reported gasoline odors
from their water because of this it Illinois EPA collect groundwater samples in October
2011 and found two homes with benzene levels above the health standard. After this the
Illinois EPA contacted the US EPA and continue their investigation till 2015 and
concluded that the contamination came from an abandoned gas station and they proceed
to create or drill deeper wells to be a new source of uncontaminated aquifer.

3. What data would you want to assess and to address the problem?

4. Abstract of the study