About C.A.R.E.
About C.A.R.E.
History 1995 - 2008
1. 1995 - 1996 Wood Burning Incinerator - Victory - A proposed Incinerator from being built in Lockport, this prevented toxic creosote soaked railroad ties, dioxin and other poisons such as lead based painted wood debris from being released into our air space.
2. 1995 - 1996 Retail Rate Law -Victory- Taxpayers money from being used to subsidize construction of over 25 proposed incinerators in IL. Accomplished by notifying the public & politicians that the cloaked 'waste to energy' facilities were wood & rubber Burning incinerators.
3. 1995 - Beautification Committee - The City of Lockport established this committee on behalf of our cleaning up efforts.
4. 1995 - 1998 - Launched Lockport's first Earth Day to educate & create public awareness on environmental & health issues.
5. 1995 - Requested our First Public Hearing from IL Environmental Protection Agency, IEPA. Protested an experimental Coal Tar test burn at the Grandfathered, antiquated facility owned by ComEd now Midwest Generation, in Romeoville. EPA granted ComEd permission to proceed. Without proper pollution controls, they polluted the environment then agreed the test was a failure.
6. 1995 - Ongoing - Coal Fired Power plants built prior to 1955 are exempt from the 1970's Clean Air Act. Researched & Educated the public of toxic pollutants caused by Midwest Generations's Grandfathered facilities that have been operating without federally enforceable permits since the '90's.
7. 1995-to Ongoing - Exploited the fact that Texaco was a neglected, polluting, unsafe & unhealthy site. This compelled Texaco to accelerate their remediation.
8. 1996 - Promoted Recycling - The unincorporated areas around Lockport did not have a recycling program. To encourage recycling we found a garbage company cheaper than the City had paying there collector.
9. 1996 - Assisted residents on the Westside of Lockport after a 500 yr flood flowed through the Texaco property leaving homes with up to 4' of water, oil residue, sludge and other pollutants which created an eyesore and rashes. Did independent sampling & stayed on top of the EPA & Texaco.
10. 1997 - 2003 - Contacted the IL Attorney General - Our persistent investigation of Texaco discovered over 100 buried drums, coke finds & other contaminates. The IL AG's office issued violation notices which lead to a substantial fine for open dumping & groundwater contamination.
11. 1998 - Ongoing - Obtained legal assistance from attorneys from Chicago Legal Clinic and Environmental Law & Policy for assistance with environmental & health justice issues.
12. 1999 -Ongoing- Network with organizations such as Sierra Club, American Lung, Respiratory Health of Metro Chicago, IPIRG, Environment IL, Stand up Save Lives, IEC.
13. 2000- Ongoing - Community Watch Dogs - We research & educate the public to prevent Heavy Industrial & polluting industries from developing in & around Will County.
14. 2000 - 2002 - Prevented a Peaker Plant & Acme Barrel (reconditioning plant) who had over 200 violations from Chicago's DOE (Dept.of the Environment) from developing in Texaco.
15. 2000- 2006 - Technical Outreach Services for Communities - TOSC. Reviewed technical information regarding Texaco/Chevron. http://www.engg.ksu.edu/CHSR/outreach/tosc/sites/lockport.html
16. 2000 - Created - The first conservation easement in Lockport by saving 2/3 of the pines trees in an established neighborhood.
17. 2000- Ongoing - Texaco/Chevron CAMU (Corrective Action Management Unit) Remediated soil from site creates this CAMU on site landfill. We review & assess permits & if necessary, request public meetings & hearings to insure the public is protected. Although, we opposed this EPA granted permits.
18. 2001 -2002 - Defeat - Filed a 60 Day Notice of Intent to Sue the City of Lockport re: Safe Drinking Water Act. Due to high levels of Radium & Gross alpha particle activity in drinking water. Lockport had collected $4.00 on all residents' water bills with the intent to remove radium from drinking water for 20 years. As unhealthy water issues continued the city only addressed the fact that long term exposure of radium could produce bone cancer.
19. 2002- Ongoing - Chicago Legal Clinic begins reviewing our research & complaints against the Midwest Generation. Keith Harley, CLC unites with American Lung, Sierra Club & Environmental Law & Policy (ELPC) who will represent CARE for Fisk & Crawford facilities
20. 2003 August - Contacted IL Attorney General's Office re lack of federal permits for Midwest Generation Coal Plants, Reviewed Permit applications, educated the public of pollution & negative health effects, attended /spoke at Public Hearings for facilities in Joliet, Will/Romeoville, Fisk & Crawford & Waukegan.
21. 2003 Sept - Identified 4,311 violations during an 18 month period. Notified the AG's office that the Proposed Title V permits were insufficient to protect the public from negative health effects of pollution from Midwest Generation's Coal Fire Power Plants. USEPA begins reviewing Title V permits
22. 2003 - 2007 - Defeat - Educated the local public & attended hearings regarding the proposed Indeck coal plant in Elwood which would have added more particulate matter and other pollutants to the Metro Chicago area and jeopardize the adjacent Midewin Natural Tallgrass Prairie.
23. 2003- 2006 - Educated the public & politicians of the negative effects Radium sludge farming. This land application has been ongoing for over 30 years. This form of fertilization is a dangerous practice and New Jersey banned it completely several years ago, yet here in Will County and other counties nearby, this is still a typical.
24. 2004 - Ongoing - Filed a 60 Day Notice of Intent to Sue the United States Environmental Agency, USEPA as they have not protected the citizens of IL by issuing permits in a timely manner from polluting grandfathered Coal Fired Power Plants in IL. Testified at IEPA & USEPA Public Hearings of health and environmental issues.
25. 2004-2007 - Victory - Mercury Ruling Fought for 90% Mercury Reduction of Coal Fired Power Plants in Illinois.
26. 2004 - Equilion - Filed a Petition Challenging the renewal of the Title V Permit
27. 2006 - Created - Community-Right- to-Know Act. Potable water - Residents with Private Wells who live within a 1.5 mile radius of any possible threat of contamination to groundwater from industries must now be directly notified & provided with toxicology information.
28. 2006 - Ongoing - Joliet/Channahon area, Smiley Sub. Provide direction, research, attend meetings & assist. Private Wells have been impacted by surrounding Industry, and many have had wells re-drilled by Vulcan, and now Midwest Generation. Some residents have had many days without water because of the "Draw Down" effect of heavy industry.
29. 2006 U.S. EPA was forced to require IL EPA to make substantial changes in the Title V permits for the MWG plants.
30. 2006 - Ongoing - GNEP - Global Nuclear Energy Partnership - US wants to accept nuclear waste from around the globe. Local sites in Morris & Argonne considered for this hazardous, radioactive waste. Educated the public & testified.
31. 2006 - Ongoing - Waste Management & Olin Chemical, Joliet A deal was offered to Will Cty to remediate Olin's enormous phosphogypsum pile which had been unattended & uncovered for decades for another landfill. We opposed as this would accommodate 9 other counties' wastes. At the public hearings our attorney outlined 27 concerns for Will County to consider for the protection of the underground waters & private wells. Many of these suggestions were implemented in the agreement. Due to our involvement & strong requests to assist the local - A Citizens Advisory Committee is being formed including - Waste Mgt, CARE & Local residents.
32. 2007 - Ongoing - Prevent a Freight yard/Transmodal from entering Lockport on Texaco/Chevron site. This would create diesel pollution from trucks & train engines, heavy traffic w/thousands of trucks daily, noisy, affect the historical area & would lower property values in the area.
33. 2007 - Resumed Earth Day educate the public on environmental & health issues - promoting Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.
34. 2008 - Will County proclaims C.A.R.E.'s Earth Day on May 18, 2008 as the official County Earth Day recognizing the groups' educational efforts.
35. 2009 - Will County Earth Day May 17th, Dellwood Park, IL
Ellen Rendulich, 815-834-1611, Carol Stark 815-838-1483, Sandy Burcenski 815-838-1442, Wendy Vlasak, Rich Oesterreich
