Durbin to EPA: Mahomet Aquifer Is A Unique, Precious Resource And Should Be Protected
Public hearings on EPA proposal to designate the Mahomet Aquifer as a sole source of drinking water tonight, tomorrow
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – In comments filed today with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said that special care must be taken to protect the Mahomet Aquifer, and urged the agency to designate it as a sole source of drinking water for the residents of central Illinois. The EPA is currently seeking public comment on a proposal to designate the Mahomet Aquifer System as a sole source aquifer, and will be holding public hearings on the proposal today and tomorrow. For more information on how to submit a public comment or attend a public hearing, please visit the EPA’s website here.
“Protecting the Mahomet Aquifer from contamination will safeguard the drinking water supply for area residents and ensure a clean and safe drinking water source for generations to come,” Durbin wrote. “More than half of the population in central Illinois relies on the Mahomet Aquifer as a primary source of drinking water. Special care must be taken to protect it from any threat to its health and safety. Therefore, I ask that you approve the petition to designate the aquifer as a sole source.”
In 2008, Durbin and then-Senator Barack Obama wrote to the EPA to express their concerns about a proposed industrial waste facility at Clinton Landfill, and the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) above the Mahomet Aquifer.
In 2012, Durbin again raised concerns with the EPA regarding the Clinton Landfill. At the time, Durbin and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) urged the agency to consider a Soul Source Aquifer application for the Mahomet Valley Aquifer and continue to evaluate the proposed waste facility at Clinton Landfill. That letter is available here. In response to Durbin’s request, the EPA ordered a U.S. Geological Survey study of the aquifer and the possible impact of permitting an industrial waste facility at Clinton Landfill. The results of that survey have not yet been released.
The text of Senator Durbin’s letter to the EPA is below:
May 13, 2014
The Honorable Susan Hedman
Regional Administrator, US EPA Region 5
77 West Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
Dear Regional Administrator Hedman:
I write to urge you to protect the Mahomet Aquifer by designating it as a sole source of drinking water for the residents of central Illinois. The aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for this region, and the protection of its water quality is critical.
The Mahomet Aquifer is one of the largest groundwater sources in the state of Illinois. The aquifer spans 15 counties and 80 municipalities in central Illinois. It is the source of approximately 220 million gallons of water per day for communities, industry, agriculture and rural wells in Illinois. This system provides drinking water to more than 850,000 Illinois residents. It is also the water source that most central Illinois communities plan to use to meet future growth in demand, including population increases and times of drought.
Sole source designation would help protect this important resource by allowing the EPA to review all federally funded projects in the area to ensure they would not contaminate the aquifer. Protecting the aquifer from contamination will safeguard the drinking water supply for area residents and ensure a clean and safe drinking water source for generations to come.
More than half of the population in central Illinois relies on the Mahomet Aquifer as a primary source of drinking water. Special care must be taken to protect it from any threat to its health and safety. Therefore, I ask that you approve the petition to designate the aquifer as a sole source.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
U.S. Senator