The Chicago Tribune reports:

Unsafe levels of a chemical used as an industrial grease cutter have been found in northeast McHenry County groundwater, but the contamination has not entered the drinking water supply, a county health official said Wednesday.

Trichloroethylene, or TCE--a degreaser and industrial solvent--has been detected in a shallow aquifer in Spring Grove, said Patrick McNulty, administrator for the McHenry County Department of Health.

County officials will answer questions on the issue at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Spring Grove Village Hall, 7401 Meyer Rd.

According to village and county officials, the source of the TCE is Spring Grove-based Intermatic Inc., a manufacturer of timers, night-lights and burglar alarms. The contaminate has leached into the soil, traveled with the underground water flow northward, beneath the Wisconsin & Southern train tracks and Scot Forge Co., 8001 Winn Rd., and into Nippersink Creek, officials said. Both companies draw their water from a deeper aquifer than where the TCE has been detected and thus have not been affected by the contamination.

(Again, no mention of vapor risk or having ruled it out. Wonder how shallow /contaminated the aquifer is...)

Sorry we're late on the meeting notice. You can read more about the findings and the clean-up plan here.