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Conservationist urges Rock Island council to reject development near Milan Bottoms wetlands
Summary
A local conservationist told the council that a proposed truck-stop development adjacent to the Milan Bottoms risks harm to wetlands and threatened species, citing past spills and historical surveys.
Brian Ritter, a conservation professional, told the Rock Island City Council during public comment that a proposed development next to the Milan Bottoms wetlands should be reconsidered and that additional studies are warranted.
Ritter said a local biologist documented 11 threatened or endangered species in wetlands immediately adjacent to the development site, including the Blanding’s turtle. He cited earlier herpetological records and said a Chicago Tribune photographer took distant photos of a Blanding’s turtle on Aug. 1, 2025. Ritter warned that having a gas station or truck stop adjacent to the largest remaining local wetland complex risks pollution and hydrologic disruption.
Ritter also recounted an earlier diesel spill following the 2019 flood, when he said a fuel separator at a nearby railyard was overwhelmed and diesel contaminated properties that feed into Nahant Marsh; he said cleanup took months and significant expense. He asked the council to weigh long-term ecological values of the Milan Bottoms against the short-term revenue that could come from commercial development.
Ritter urged additional field study of the site’s wetlands and species presence before allowing development, and asked the council to reconsider plans that would place fueling operations adjacent to the wetland complex. The council did not take an immediate vote on the proposal during the study session; the matter was raised in public comment.
