Site Fight Of The Week: Godfrey, IL

In Godfrey, a small town on the Illinois side of the St. Louis metro area, concerned residents are fighting hard to prevent Wal-Mart from building on two tributaries that eventually end up in the Mississippi River. 

The proposed store at Godfrey and Airport Roads, on the site of an well-known asparagus farm, would bring a huge amount of parking lot runoff and point source water pollution, tainting on-site tributaries of Rocky Fork Creek. Rocky Fork Creek flows directly into Warren Levis Lake and later the Mississippi River, all of which are complex and sensitive ecosystems and invaluable recreation areas.

Independent analysis has confirmed the fragility of the local environment. Many types of mature trees, shrubs, and native grasses exist along lengthy stretches of Rocky Fork Creek. Downstream of the proposed development exist an abundance of pollution intolerant macroinvertebrate communities, as well as larger species like crayfish, big mouth shiners, bluegill, and box turtles- which would be adversely affected as well.

We all know Wal-Mart’s environmental record. The company has been repeatedly fined by both federal and state agencies for water and air pollution. But what we know is that no matter how much fine monies are collected down the road, it won’t compensate for permanent damage to the Mississippi River and the Godfrey area.

The local group Sustainable Godfrey has formed to fight the Wal-Mart plan. A major decision is expected later this week when the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency decides whether or not to issue Wal-Mart a 401 Water Quality Certification.

The reasons to deny Wal-Mart’s environmental permit are many.

As usual, Wal-Mart has rushed through the permitting process without any significant study of the environmental impact. By law, Wal-Mart is required to submit a thorough alternative site plan which considers other possible store locations, and must prove that the preferred site will have the LEAST environmental impact. Here is a copy of Wal-Mart’s woefully inadequate alternative site submission, which was put together in less than five days. This alone should be grounds for the IEPA to deny Wal-Mart’s environmental permit until they complete a full and thorough review of the area.

Additionally, Wal-Mart has failed to demonstrate that it complied with accepted environmental testing procedures, and other methodologies published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In short, the company has failed to submit the required proof to the Illinois EPA that its proposed store will not pollute the Rocky Fork Creek tributary, and thus Warren Levis Lake and the most important waterway in the country - the Mississippi River. 

TAKE ACTION NOW

Sign a petition now requesting that the Illinois EPA deny Wal-Mart’s 401 Water Quality Certification. The petition will be delivered to the IEPA by Friday, June 27th - the deadline after which public comments will no longer be accepted.

Posted by Eric Bull on Monday, June 23, 2008

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