HOI Issues Update - January 2012
Sand Mine Quarry Proposed at East
Entrance of Starved Rock
Can you imagine hiking along the glorious trails at Starved Rock
State Park and hearing blasting and feeling gritty air as you view
the natural beauty?
The LaSalle County Board has approved zoning for a sand mine quarry
that environmentalists contend will harm the park. What wildlife do
you think will nest or even hang around when regular blasting is
done for this quarry? Dewatering of a natural area and wetland will
occur, and these hydrologic changes have not been fully assessed
regarding impacts to the park. Many individuals consider affects on
the park hydrology as inevitable. Adding to the horrific situation
with this sand mine is the fact that the sand will be used for
fracking in the environmentally destructive process to force toxic
chemicals, sand and water deep underground to obtain natural gas.
Please send a
note to Governor Pat Quinn and urge that he protect
Starved Rock State Park.
More information and several great articles are at your
Illinois Chapter website.
Massive
tree destruction is underway at the Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area for work on U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers environmental mitigation. The $19 million dollar project will install three huge pumps on the
Illinois river and new channels to pump water into the public park ensuring access for duck hunters.
Local environmentalists are outraged at the destruction and concerned about far-reaching impacts on other
wildlife that depend on this internationally recognized bird and migrating habitat.Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Destruction
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers environmental "mitigation" project has begun at your state park, Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, in Fulton County along the Illinois River. This historic migratory habitat, eagle roost, and home to osprey and many other threatend species will be "improved" by the addition of massive channels cut to move Illinois River water into duck hunting areas.
Tree planting on Duck Island and other plantings are to be done, which have been needed for the last 20 years as park staff killed many trees by failing to drain high water levels in Rice Lake. Water levels were kept high so that hunters could use large boats and motors to haul in their expansive duck blinds for hunting season. The years of bad management at Rice Lake are now being magnified by the taking hundreds of large trees with unknown impacts on wintering species.
IL Department of Natural Resources Director
Marc Miller had not responded to photos of the tree cutting and an HOI letter with
concerns about impacts to the historic eagle roost at Rice Lake delivered to IDNR on
December 22nd. Send your personal letter of concern asking about this destruction to
Marc Miller, Director, IL DNR, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62706.
Illegal
destruction of a wooded bluff above the Illinois Nature Preserve north of Bennett's Terraqueous Gardens,
East Peoria, did not seem to matter to the East Peoria Zoning Commission. A "special use" permit was issued after
the fact for an over $80,000. patio and pool on privately owned land that involved bulldozing and massive tree
removal, dirt fill and tons of concrete, on the steep slope above the Nature Preserve.Thanks to an environmentally concerned neighbor, a public zoning hearing was held January 9th at the East Peoria City Council chamber. For two years, an extensive pool and patio were under construction illegally on the steep slope north of Bennett's Terraqueous Garden. You can see the eyesore from Illinois Route 116 and the access road to the Nature Preserve north of Bennett's.
While the bluff destruction is on privately owned land, East Peoria has a very specific Steep Slope Ordinance regarding such development. None of the criteria for this ordinance were followed. Neither the homeowner nor the project developer applied for any permits until the project was completed. A neighbor went to the press with complaints, after the East Peoria zoning office was unresponsive.
On January 9th the local zoning board proved that the good ol' boy network rules in East Peoria. The board chairman is related to an individual from whom materials for the project were purchased. None of the zoning board commissioners asked about issues with their own Steep Slope Ordinance. Comments at the zoning hearing were that the concrete work looked substantial and other comments regarding the concrete, missing the point of the East Peoria Steep Slope Ordinance.
The Peoria Journal Star carried several stories about the issue. Heart of Illinois Group Sierra Club testified at the hearing and entered a letter and photos into the record. The Peoria City Council has to vote on the 'special use' zoning. Please send your letters of concern and request that all provisions of the Steep Slope Ordinance be followed. Please ask that water discharges from this project be required to be connected to the city sewer system, and send to Mayor David Mingus, City of East Peoria, 100 South Main St., East Peoria, IL 61611. Pool chemicals, including anti-freeze dumped into pool water for the winter, will be discharged to the steep slope above the ravine feeding into the Nature Preserve unless action is taken.
Brenda Dilts,
Chair Canton Area Citizens for Environmental Issues is shown talking to Ken Fuller, Mayor of Banner,
at the December 6th Illinois Environmental Protection Agency public hearings regarding draft permits for the North
Canton LLC coal strip mine. North Canton LLC had black T-shirts for the coal mine promoters.Thanks to the many Canton Area Citizens for Environmental Issues (CACEI) and Sierra members who braved a cold downpour and attended the four-hour long Illinois Environmental Protection Agency hearings in Canton regarding draft permits for the North Canton LLC strip mine. This mine is 1.5 miles north of Canton Lake and will destroy thousands of feet of tributaries in the lake watershed.
Canton Lake is the primary public water supply for the majority of residents of Fulton County. Public comments on the permits closed January 13th. Special thanks go to Illinois Chapter Sierra Club Clean Water Advocate Dr. Cindy Skrukrud for her extensive research and work and for testifying at the hearing, along with Brian Perbix, and Traci Barkely who is a water scientist with Prairie Rivers Network of Champaign. Jen Hensley with the Illinois Chapter Sierra office posted a statewide alert about the issue. We are now awaiting a decision from IL EPA on the draft NPDES water pollution permit and the 401 wetlands destruction permit for the mine.
Heart of IL Group Sierra and CACEI continue their legal battle with the IL Department of Natural Resources regarding the IDNR permit for this mine. Please help with this legal defense fund by mailing your check made out to Heart of IL Group Sierra Club, and noted for "N. Canton Mine Legal Defense" to HOI at P.O. Box 3593, Peoria, IL 61612. All donations will be gratefully appreciated and are urgently needed.