Champaign march for cleanup

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.--The Champaign Country Health Care Consumers and C-U Political Action Project organized a march December 5 calling for the cleanup of toxic soil caused by a gas plant in the predominantly African American neighborhood around 5th and Hill Streets.

Around 50 people from the community and the nearby University of Illinois campus came out to call on Ameren to clean up its former plant site immediately and to be more transparent in dealings with people affected by its toxic properties.

Ameren says it intends to clean up the toxic soil that has spread from the former factory site to surrounding residential properties. But the contamination has been present since the gas plant closed in 1953.

Demonstrators expressed disgust that Ameren hasn't notified home buyers and owners about the toxicity of the soil--and now refuses to meet with community members about the cleanup. Organizers are also demanding "neighborhood and community input into future development plans for the site and neighborhood at 5th and Hill."

People here are demanding a say in the future of their communities and more control over corporations. It will take more actions like these to win safe neighborhoods and end environmental racism.