Activists hope a meeting set for Thursday night will attract residents concerned about chemical pollution they believe was not addressed by the cleanup at the site of a long-gone gas plant in Champaign’s predominantly African-American north side.
The agency says about 30 residents attended a public meeting last week for those living in the 5th and Hill area – near the site now owned by Ameren that once held a manufactured gas plant. At least 10 homes in the neighborhood will be tested for toxic vapors early next year, but On-Scene Coordinator Andy Maguire hopes to sign up more in the next few weeks.
Residents living near a former manufactured gas plant in Champaign say utility company Ameren "won't lift a finger" to address concerns about toxic vapors in the neighborhood. So those in the 5th and Hill neighborhood have called upon the U.S. EPA, which is offering free inspections to those living in the area. The agency is hosting a public meeting Thursday to sign up those residents.
Once it's approved in court, the Clinton Landfill Consent Decree will bar certain types of waste from going into the landfill, in order to protect the Mahomet Aquifer that lies beneath it. But some waste that's already in the landfill will stay. Both supporters and critics of the Consent Decree are looking ahead to other ways to shield the aquifer from possible contamination.
The Mahomet Valley Water Authority is the final government body in a 14-member coalition to endorse a consent decree, settling their suit against with the Clinton Landfill. But a new lawsuit has been filed against the landfill by W.A.T.C.H. Clinton Landfill.
