SPRINGFIELD, IL – A major environmental issue affecting thousands of central Illinois residents is being addressed by State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) and State Rep. Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth) through legislation filed this week.
500,000 residents depend on the Mahomet Aquifer for their drinking water and many of those same citizens are concerned about potential effects of pollution. Prior decisions by the DeWitt County Board to allow PCBs to be stored at the Clinton land fill could contaminate the water supply for much of central Illinois.
“We will continue to push in opposition of the storage of PCBs at the Clinton landfill.” Rose said. “I am also preparing amendments to the bill filed today based on the public hearing testimony from last fall’s House committee meeting in Monticello.”
“The people of DeWitt County, in a vote, overwhelmingly rejected the county’s decision to allow a chemical waste landfill,” Mitchell said. “People understand the devastating effect any leakage of PCBs into the Mahomet Aquifer would have on Central Illinois’ drinking water supply. All of the affected communities should have their voices heard on this important issue.”
Senate Bill 1868 would allow for all central Illinois county boards and municipalities sitting on the aquifer to have the same veto authority as Dewitt County. House legislation is due to be filed soon.
“This legislation will allow the rest of us who drink from the Mahomet Aquifer to stop this,” Rose concluded.