by Stacy James, Water Resources Scientist

For every inch of rain that falls, about a half-gallon of stormwater runoff is produced from one square foot of roof or pavement. That’s a lot of water, and most of it eventually winds up in our waterways. Along the way, the stormwater picks up oil, trash, bird droppings, pesticides, and other pollutants from the ground. {Continue Reading »}

Proposed site for STAR bonds development in the American Bottom Floodplain

In the final hours before his August 30th deadline for taking action, Governor Quinn issued an “amendatory veto” on the STAR Bonds Financing Act (Senate Bill 1909). The Bill sets up a mechanism for public financing of large commercial developments in blighted urban areas. Prairie Rivers Network, along with many of our partners (Sierra Club – Illinois Chapter and Kaskaskia Group, American Bottom Conservancy, Illinois Environmental Council), opposed the Bill throughout the 2009 Legislative Session because it includes the ludicrous provision that eligible projects must be at least partly located in floodplains. This provision is part of the Bill in order to target the taxpayer subsidy to a specific development, a mega- shopping mall and entertainment complex in and along the floodplain of the Mississippi River in Glen Carbon, IL (metro East St. Louis area). We are pleased that the Governor has requested lower subsidies than were proposed by Bill Sponsor Senator James Clayborne, of Belleville. However, we are disappointed that the issue of floodplain development has not been addressed. {Continue Reading »}

Proposed site for STAR bonds development in American Bottom floodplain.

Described variously as “TIF on steroids” or “Worst Bill Ever,” Illinois Senate Bill 1909 – the STAR Bonds Financing Act – gives money to private developers at Illinois state taxpayers’ expense to develop in the 100-year floodplain because “such sites are more likely to remain underutilized and undeveloped.” Eligible sites must be vacant and no less than 600 acres, at least 30 per cent of which is in the 100-year floodplain.

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