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Cook County committee backs resolution supporting cleanup of Chicago-area waterways
Summary
The Cook County Environment Sustainability Committee voted to support a federal-led cleanup of the Chicago Area Waterway System after remote remarks by Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Cam Davis; the measure passed by roll call, 6 ayes, 1 absent.
The Cook County Environment Sustainability Committee approved a resolution supporting cleanup of the Chicago Area Waterway System after remote testimony from Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Cam Davis and brief remarks from county commissioners. The resolution passed by roll call with six ayes and one absence.
Cam Davis, a commissioner at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), told the committee that the Chicago waterways contain "legacy pollutants" that "have essentially sat and sat for decades," posing ongoing public-health risks and affecting subsistence anglers. He said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are proposing to lead a federal process to identify toxic hot spots and that "they proposed to start this process with a 100% federal funded lead," urging county support and local sponsorship of the federal effort.
A county commissioner who identified prior service at the MWRD said the county should partner with federal agencies and cited prior, similar resolutions passed by MWRD and the city of Chicago. Commissioner Miller moved to advance the resolution (item 2061239); the chair recorded the motion as seconded by Commissioner Kevin Morrison. After staff conducted a roll call, the record shows Commissioners Britton, Miller, Morita, Trevor, Vasquez and the chair voted "aye." Commissioner Kevin Morrison was recorded absent; the chair announced the ayes have it.
The resolution, as presented, expresses county support for federal cleanup planning and encourages coordination between Cook County, the MWRD and federal agencies. Cam Davis described the cleanup effort as a rare opportunity for federal funding to address long-buried contaminants that continue to recycle through the food chain and affect local communities.
The committee took no other substantive action on the item after the vote and adjourned. The committee also heard two timed public comments during the meeting; one speaker characterized the meeting environment as "toxic" and another speaker alleged Open Meetings Act and civil-rights litigation against local officials. Those remarks were delivered during the public comment period and did not alter the committee's action on the resolution.
The committee adjourned following the vote.
