Tribune series: Poison in the well
unknowingly drank tap water contaminated with toxic chemicals. Crestwood water tower. (Tribune file)
More coverage: Great Lakes-area pollution
Read Tribune reports on air and water pollution issues in the region.
Cancer study triggers fears in Crestwood
Like many residents of Crestwood, Frank Caldario has been worried about the water he drank for years without knowing it was contaminated.
Study finds elevated rates of cancer in Crestwood
Researchers unable to make definite link to tainted water some residents unknowingly drank for years.
Crestwood taxpayers spend $1 million on legal bills to defend village leaders
Criminal and civil investigations in contaminated water case rack up legal fees.
Dry cleaners leave a toxic legacy
For decades, one of the nation's most widely used dry cleaning solvents was billed as a marvel of modern chemistry that could safely remove dirt and stains from clothing.
Crestwood water contamination source remains a mystery
Tests of groundwater and soil near Crestwood's contaminated well were inconclusive, according to results posted online by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Feds raid firm in Crestwood probe
Federal agents raid the offices of Crestwood's engineering firm, the latest step in a criminal investigation into the Cook County suburb's secret use of a community well contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals.
Madigan: Crestwood lied about tainted well
The state alleges in a lawsuit that village officials misled the EPA and residents about the source of Crestwood's water.
Inspectors begin tests near contaminated well
Inspectors begin testing soil and groundwater near Crestwood's contaminated well, taking the first step in an attempt to determine how much of the toxic chemicals people consumed for more than two decades.
Durbin calls for health study related to well
As federal authorities conduct a criminal investigation of Crestwood's secret use of a polluted well, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is urging government health experts to study whether anyone got sick from drinking the water.
Suburbs try to allay any water fears
When word spread that the village of Crestwood had secretly pumped drinking water from a polluted well to residents for more than two decades, other south suburbs took the step of assuring residents that their water supply is safe.
EPA seizes Crestwood files
Federal agents raid government offices in south suburban Crestwood less than two weeks after a Tribune investigation revealed the village had secretly pumped drinking water from a polluted well for more than two decades.
State looks to plug hole in pollution law
Illinois' right-to-know law requires state officials to notify people if they live near a polluted site or if their tap water is contaminated. But that didn't happen in the case of Crestwood.
Jeered mayor defends Crestwood water
An outraged standing-room-only crowd shouts down Crestwood's mayor, demanding to know why local officials secretly used a polluted well for more than two decades.
Crackdown to target tap water
Illinois officials are taking steps to ensure people aren't drinking contaminated water, including proposing criminal penalties for misleading the public about the source of water flowing from their taps.
Crestwood well water: Mayor tells residents, 'Your drinking water is safe'
In response to a Tribune investigation that revealed Crestwood's secret use of a well polluted with cancer-causing chemicals, Mayor Robert Stranczek has hired a public relations firm and prepared to send letters to every village resident and business.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn demands answers from state EPA on Crestwood's 2-decade use of tainted well
Gov. Pat Quinn is demanding answers from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency about why residents of south suburban Crestwood weren't notified that the village had pumped drinking water contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals for more than two decades.
U.S. reviewing partial ban of cleaning chemical
The Obama administration is mulling whether to force dry cleaners to phase out the cancer-causing chemical that soaked into the soil behind a Crestwood business and is still used in tens of thousands of shops nationwide.
Crestwood officials cut corners and supplied residents with tainted water for 2 decades
Like every town across the nation, south suburban Crestwood tucks a notice into utility bills each summer reassuring residents their drinking water is safe. Village leaders also trumpet the claim in their monthly newsletter, while boasting they offer the cheapest water rates in Cook County. But those pronouncements hide a troubling reality: For more than two decades, the 11,000 or so residents in this working-class community unknowingly drank tap water contaminated with toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other health problems.
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