| March 2024 |
By Joyce Blumenshine
Southside Peoria leaders spoke out at a press conference February 22nd on concerns for the city of Peoria tax increment financing (TIF) district that includes the BioUrja ethanol plant. Concerns include the plant could use TIF funding for site work related to installing carbon capture/sequestration and a CO2 pipeline or site preparation for these. The BioUrja plant is within blocks of thousands of residents in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated Environmental Justice areas due to multiple factors, including toxic releases to the air, health disparities, and socioeconomic indicators such as predominantly people of color and low income.
A public hearing on the distillery TIF will be held at the February 27th Peoria City Council meeting. Various speakers will be asking the city to do better to protect Southside residents from any added pollution requiring new state or federal pollution permits and to ensure that TIF funds cannot be used for CO2 pipelines or carbon capture and sequestration.
The 2022 Peoria City and County Joint Commission on Racial Justice & Equity Annual Report details the legacy of discrimination and disinvestment in the Southside, with the mission of the commission , “To accelerate efforts to institutionalize racial justice and equity within county and city government and to advance its adoption throughout the region.” Heart of Illinois Group Sierra Club will join other speakers on February 27th to request the city take more specific actions in the distillery TIF to protect the community from disproportionate and adverse human health and environmental effects (including risks) and hazards. The city council is scheduled to vote on the TIF proposal at the March 12th meeting.
