Salt Fork and Copper Slough at risk in sale of water to Cronus
The Urbana Champaign Sanitary District (UCSD) is hoping to sell its water to Cronus Chemical for use in a fertilizer plant. The equivalent of 6.3 million gallons of effluent per day would be piped to Tuscola, and no longer discharged to the Saline Branch or the Copper Slough.
There are recent signs that the sale will occur, and we are concerned that the Board of Trustees may not honor its earlier promises to protect local streams.
Although the District promised us it would maintain minimum discharges of 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD) to the Copper Slough and 4.5 MGD to the Saline Branch, because these streams are “the District’s first priorities,” recent statements by the Board and staff call into question the District’s commitment.
Full term sheet between the District and Cronus Chemical
Board meeting this Thursday, December 5th at 10 am Urbana Champaign Sanitary District 1100 East University, Urbana, ILPlease attend this meeting and tell the Board to honor its promise to discharge a minimum of 1.5 MGD to the Copper Slough and 4.5 MGD to the Saline Branch.
The executive director of UCSD has drafted three resolutions that the Board will consider on Thursday.
We think #1 (labeled “PRN” by the District) is the strongest, but should also include a requirement that the Board must report to the public if the District fails to meet the minimum discharges.
Come to the meeting and ask the Board to adopt #1/PRN resolution plus a public reporting requirement.
If you cannot attend the meeting on Thursday, please call the Trustees before Thursday and give them your message:
Diana Lenik 217-356-7082 Jerry Lyke 217-493-2292 Jenny Putman 217-337-1148Thank you for your help protecting the Saline, the Salt Fork and the Copper Slough.
