Metro EastSaturday, November 7
Illinois EPA tells Metro East residents it will meet with them every quarter to build trust
The Daily Belleville team
If you live in Cahokia Heights or elsewhere in the Metro East, state officials just heard from your neighbors. Illinois EPA leaders visited East St. Louis Thursday night to answer questions about sewage backups and contaminated land. Director James Jennings said it was the first in a series of quarterly meetings meant to build trust.
The agency estimates it will take another two decades to fix sewage backups in parts of Cahokia Heights. Yvette Lyles, who has lived there 32 years, said her home has flooded with sewage for nearly that whole time.
Illinois EPA's work in the Metro East runs from a 2024 agreement to Thursday's meeting
- 2024The state agency entered an agreement with local and federal officials on the sewer system.
- JuneIEPA officials toured contaminated Metro East sites on a "toxic tour."
- AugustIEPA cited Metro East water providers after residents found E. coli in tap water.
- Nov. 5IEPA held the first of its quarterly meetings with residents in East St. Louis.
Sources: KMOV, Belleville News-Democrat
- Residents asked for a remediation timeline and a stronger relationship with IEPA
- Caseyville's Rebecca Take: eight years fighting an illegal open dump
- Larry Evans expects state and federal money to be needed
Evans, board president of United Congregations of Metro East, said the communities lack "the funds, the tax base" to fix these problems alone. Jennings said the agency is putting a focus on Cahokia Heights.
The Metro East's water and sewage problems, by the numbers
- 2 decades
- IEPA's estimate to fix Cahokia Heights sewage backups
- 7 months
- of community water testing, June to December
- 5
- communities on the June toxic tour
Sources: KMOV, Belleville News-Democrat
Sources: KMOV, Belleville News-Democrat