SPRINGFIELD, IL – State Sens. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) and Mike Frerichs (D-Champaign) hosted the first meeting of the Mahomet Aquifer working group at the Illinois State Capitol, May 30 to step up oversight of the Clinton Landfill that sits atop the watershed.
“We attempted to put together a ‘science-driven’ group that also provides for direct local input from citizen stakeholders. This morning, we held the first meeting of our Mahomet Aquifer working group,” Rose said. “It is extremely important that local citizens have direct input as we develop a long-term strategy to ensure the safety of our drinking water. We worked hard to appoint a representative sample of the organizations that serve the citizens of our area.”
The working group includes representatives from the Illinois EPA, local health departments, the Illinois State Water and Geology Survey, and city and county-level appointees.
Rose and Frerichs appointed the following individuals to the panel: Dr. George Roadcap, of the Illinois State Water Survey; Randy Toohill, treasurer of the Mahomet Valley Water Authority; Angela Adams –Environmental Health coordinator for the City of Champaign and also on behalf of the Mahomet Aquifer Consortium; Dr. Ed Menhert of the Illinois State Geological Survey; Dave Remmert, DeWitt-Piatt Department of Public Health Director; Bill Spencer President of WATCH, as that organization’s designee to the panel; Randy Keith, Piatt County Board Member; and Joe Hooker, attorney, City of Champaign. The state EPA has assigned four high-level staff to the group, as well.
State Representative Naomi Jakobsson (D-Urbana) also attended the initial meeting. The group will be meeting again in about a month, with a date to be announced. The exact details are yet to be announced.