Meeting In Champaign To Provide Update On Mahomet Aquifer

Local officials are offering residents the chance to ask questions about the latest efforts to protect the Mahomet Aquifer at a public meeting set for Saturday, September 19th in Champaign.

The aquifer is an underground water source running through 15 central Illinois counties.

Claudia Lennhoff of Champaign County Health Care Consumers --- the meeting’s organizer -- says they’ll look at recent developments, such as the federal EPA’s decision to designate the aquifer as a Sole Source Aquifer ---- recognizing its status as a principal water supply for much of east-central Illinois.

Lennhoff says the designation lays a foundation for future action to help the Mahomet Aquifer.

“It really creates the possibility for the state of Illinois to create new legislation and regulations built upon the Sole Source designation, so that we can bring even greater protections to the Mahomet Aquiferk,", said Lennhoff.

Other items on the meeting’s agenda include the Clinton Landfill ---- which lies over the aquifer in DeWitt County  --- and a new state law restricting manufactured gas plant waste in landfills.

Lennhoff says the proposed consent decree settling a legal action against the Clinton Landfill by 14 local governments is not on the agenda. But she says city attorneys who negotiated the proposed settlement will be on hand to answer questions. So far, 8 of the 14 local governments in the Mahomet Aquifer Coalition have approved the consent decree.

The Mahomet Aquifer Community Meeting runs from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM on Saturday, September 19th, at the Champaign Public Library.