Sanitary District set to approve contract this Thursday morning
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Urbana Champaign Sanitary District (UCSD) will vote this Thursday, March 6th on a contract for the sale of treated wastewater (“effluent”) to Cronus Chemical for use by Cronus in a fertilizer plant it may build in Tuscola, IL. Prairie Rivers Network has reviewed the contract and found it seriously lacking in protections for the District, ratepayers and local streams.
The UCSD Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote at its next monthly Board meeting at 10:00 am at 1100 East University Avenue, Urbana, and all signs indicate that the Board will approve the contract as written, despite its many flaws, including provisions that allow Cronus to control how much (or little) it buys, and what price it pays.
In an open letter to the District Trustees, Prairie Rivers Network has identified the major flaws in the contract and suggested much-needed improvements. Read our letter to the District (PDF of our letter).
“There are so many problems with this contract, we can’t help but believe Cronus is pulling a fast one on us,” says Kim Knowles of Prairie Rivers Network. “And the District needs to step up and honor its promise to protect local streams by making that promise legally enforceable.”
Contact: Kim Knowles, Prairie Rivers Network, kknowles@prairierivers.org, 217/344-2371 x. 209
###
