Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Agrees to hold a Public Hearing on Wal-Mart

After receiving a huge response from Godfrey residents, local community and environmental groups the IEPA has agreed to hold a Public Hearing on May 28th.  The purpose of the Hearing is to get resident input regarding their decision to issue a “Section 401 water quality certification for the discharge of dredge or fill material into waters of the United States”.

This is an opportunity for concerned citizens to speak directly to IEPA officials about the personal, commercial, or environmental effects the on-site and downstream degradation of one of our waterways will have on the health, character, and quality of life we enjoy here in Godfrey.  

It is our opinion, and the opinion of many in town, that the issuing of this permit, which will result in the piping up of 150 ft. of stream, affect another 1,570 ft of the stream, and directly effect water quality and all forms of life downstream, is a bad idea and should concern all residents of Madison County. 

Wal-Mart should be required to alter their plans to limit the amount of non-permeable surfaces and develop new ways to deal with water run-off that so as not to pollute our streams and rivers and lakes with trash, oily residue, and silt—all of which will negatively and permanently effect our ecosystem and increase the risks of flooding in the immediate area.

We are asking all residents that care about the environment, and future, or Godfrey to attend this meeting, or write the IEPA and tell them that Wal-Mart’s current plans to pollution of our local waterways are NOT ACCEPTABLE.

MEETING INFO:

Public Hearing

Wednesday May 28, 2008 6 p.m.

Lewis & Clark Community College

Advanced Technology Center, Room 141

5800 Godfrey Road (Routes 111 and 67)

Godfrey, Illinois

CONTACT INFO:

Hearing Officer Charles Matoesian #21

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

1021 North Grand Avenue East

P. O. Box 19276

Springfield, IL 62794-9276

Phone 217-782-5544 TDD (hearing impaired) 217-782-9143

E-mail Charles.Matoesian@Illinois.gov

Illinois EPA Open up Permit Approval Process to Public Comment

After intense lobbying from Sustainable Godfrey and residents, the Illinois EPA has changed their mind and is allowing public comment on their process on whether to approve Wal-Mart’s 401 Permit.

This is a huge opportunity for all residents opposed to the building of a SuperCenter on Godfrey Rd. to tell the IEPA that we are concerned about Wal-Mart’s poor plan to pipe up sections of free flowing waterways that drain into the Piasa and Mississippi, and will effect our environment and the fragile biosphere. This “discharge” of oily run-off, trash, and sediment, will irreparably effect not only our community, but all those down stream. Wal-Mart’s current plans to mitigate these effects are sorely lacking, determined by several studies by noted regional experts.

The approval of the 401 Water Certification to Discharge into Waters of the State Permit is one of the last things Wal-Mart needs before being able to start building, and the IEPA, by granting this comment period, has given residents a last chance to have our say.

So let’s let them hear it—NO MORE ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION BY LARGE CORPORATIONS!!

You can have your voice heard; effect the IEPA’s decision; protect our environment and Stop Wal-Mart by sending a letter or email to Alyson Grady at:

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Bureau of Water
Facility Evaluation Unit
1021 North Grand Avenue East
P.O. Box 19276
Springfield, IL 62794-9276
E: alyson.grady@illinois.gov

RE: IEPA Log No. C-150-07

Joehl’s Officially Sell Farm to Wal-Mart

The Joehl’s are good people and have been a prominent family in town for a long time, we are happy they were able to sell their families land at a profit. We wish them all the best for their family and in their future endeavors.

During this fight, at times it has been difficult to know that defeating a proposed Wal-Mart, would mean the Joehl’s might not be able to sell their land. But with the Joehl’s now out of the picture, and Wal-Mart the official owners, we can redouble our drive to stop them ruining this land, piping up the beautiful stream that runs through it, polluting our waterways, clogging our streets with traffic, and bankrupting many of our local businesses. It is our duty to make sure the new owners and our Village, State, and Federal officials do what is best for the citizens of Godfrey. Now we can accomplish this without detrimental effects to the Joehl family.

The plans for the proposed Wal-Mart will dump trash and silt, and oily runoff into our rivers, create dangerous traffic jams up on Godfrey Rd., and change the character of the Village forever. Many of the family businesses we love will be forced to shut their doors, and the amount spent to maintain the roads, deal with the increase in crime, lose of revenue from loss of local businesses, and supplementing the health-care bills for Wal-Mart employees who do not receive health insurance will far out way any new tax revenues the store may create.

A new Wal-Mart is not good for Godfrey, and with the Joehl’s gone, we have a new opportunity to force the Village and Wal-Mart to listen to our concerns, do the proper studies, and put something in on this land that will not cause the kind of harm the proposed Wal-Mart would. This is still our town, and we need to fight for its future.

Please join us in our struggle to save Godfrey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!