Technical Tours
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

Monday, August 20 · Noon - 4:00 p.m.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago was established in 1889 to protect the water quality of Lake Michigan, the major drinking water supply for the Chicago area. The tour begins at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant, where we will visit the Calumet Tunnel pumping station control room, 350 feet below ground. It controls the inflow and outflow of the 36.5-mile Calumet Tunnel, one portion of the 109-mile "Deep Tunnel." Deep Tunnel knowledge and technology have been used on many ensuing projects, including the English Channel "Chunnel."

Note: Lunch is included with the tour.

Safety Kleen

Tuesday, August 21 · 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.

Safety-Kleen's East Chicago Re-refining Facility services generators of automotive and industrial oils in the eastern United States. The facility re-refines approximately 100 million gallons of oil every year and employs 100 people. It re-refines oil through processes that include dehydration, fuel stripping, lube oil separation, and hydrofinishing. The re-refined lubricants are returned to use as diesel, railroad, and engine oil. Participants will witness the facility in action--possibly processing oil from their last oil change.

Chicago Brownfields Site

Tuesday, August 21 · 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

In 1993, the Chicago Brownfields Initiative was created by Mayor Richard Daley to recycle abandoned properties in Chicago and bring jobs back to the inner core. By early 1999, the initiative had remediated 33 brownfields with a total area of 50 acres. We will visit recent project sites and learn about the program's success in returning land to productive use. We also will learn how Chicago has brought together business leaders, environmentalists, bankers, regulators, and city officials to facilitate brownfield cleanup and remediation.

Argonne National Lab/Heritage Environmental Services

Wednesday, August 22 · 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Argonne National Laboratory is one of the U.S. Department of Energy's largest research centers, supporting more than 200 projects, ranging from studies of the atomic nucleus to global climate change. Tour stops may include the advanced photon source, which uses high-brilliance X-ray beams to carry out forefront basic and applied research. The tour will also include on-site environmental management programs, including decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. Participants will tour a RCRA Part B permitted facility owned and operated by Heritage Environmental Services, the largest privately held environmental company in North America.

Note: Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Also, any non-US citizens must contact the Tour Registration (Nancy Strain, Information SpecialistUniversity of Kansas Continuing Education, 877-404-5823) as soon as possible for an approval form.