IEPA Hears Both Sides of Wal-Mart Water Issues
By Jill Moon, The Telegraph, Alton, Ill.
May 29–GODFREY — Attorneys on both sides of a Clean Water Act permit for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. pulled no punches in front of a state agency.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency held a public hearing Wednesday night to hear comments and testimony about a Section 401 water quality certification permit that would allow a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter to cover portions of two unnamed tributaries and mitigate its impact.
Environmental experts hired by Alton attorney Deborah Greider, working in conjunction with attorney Penni Livingston of Livingston Law Firm in Fairview Heights, disputed claims made by similarly qualified experts hired by Wal-Mart. Greider represents a citizens group, Sustainable Godfrey, opposed to a proposed Supercenter on the former Joehl’s Alfalfa Queen Farm property at Godfrey and Airport roads.
Senior environmental scientist Thixton Miller, of HDR Engineering Inc. in Springfield, conducted macroinvertebrate sampling May 20 from six sites along Rocky Fork Creek and the two unnamed tributaries in question. Miller said the samples overall showed the downstream waters abundant with life. Citizens are concerned storm water runoff and pollutants from an impervious parking lot will permanently and adversely affect water quality.
Sample Reach 3, an area located at and just above the confluence of China Creek and Rocky Fork Creek on the grounds of Lewis and Clark Community College, produced the best sample, he said, although all sample reaches showed diverse aquatic life communities, including fish and frogs.
“It contained the highest diversity of organisms, 13 species of macroinvertebrates and one species of fish, and had the most abundant number of pollution-intolerant organisms,” Miller said. “Small minnow mayflies and predaceous diving beetle larvae are pollution-intolerant and very abundant, indicating a complex, healthy food web.”
Livingston, who has filed suit against “polluters” for two decades, said the Wal-Mart findings of the tributaries being degraded were simply false. Livingston once worked for the IEPA prosecuting cases for the agency.
“Considering what Miller says, the creek is teaming with life and the IEPA should conduct an independent study,” Livingston said to the IEPA panel.
Wal-Mart countered what Greider’s experts said after deferring comment until all Godfrey citizens spoke who requested to do so.
Before a Wal-Mart representative spoke, developers Scott Adams and Bill St. Peters spoke in favor of the development coming to Godfrey. Adams said he trusted the IEPA would critically analyze the evidence before issuing a permit.
READ MORE ON THIS STORY in the print edition of Thursday’s Telegraph.
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