Illiana: Road Without a Purpose
The Illiana is a 47-mile toll-road cutting through rural Will County into Indiana with a price tag of $1.3 BILLION. It promises high tolls with few users. The state of Illinois is proposing to guarantee payments to the road's private builders at a time when the state's limited funds should be going to maintain and improve existing roads and transit. The proposed route would destroy 2,600 acres of prime farmland. Ultimately, the project will result in relocating 40 farms, including centennial farms, stripping people of their land and job. The Illiana will destroy important natural resources and public land. It will pollute the Kankakee River watershed, degrading clean drinking water supplies. The Illiana will also impact the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, our nation's first national tallgrass prairie and home to several endangered grassland bird species.
Opposition
Opposition is stirring along the corridor and throughout Illinois. Local groups, such as No Illiana 4 Us, have been organizing to keep this boondoggle out of their community. Taxpayers throughout Illinois are voicing opposition to their representatives asking them not to support this costly and risky project. Please take a moment and visit the No Illiana website to learn more.
Sierra Club Magazine Feature Article:
Boxed In: Retail Warehouses Pave Over Pristine Farm Land
Residents of Will County experience increased diesel pollution, crumbling infrastructure, and a changing landscape due to massive growth in warehouse development spurred by the need to move goods from overseas manufacturers to a big box store or online shopping fulfillment center. Many of the globe's biggest retailers (Amazon, WalMart, Home Depot, IKEA) operate warehouses in Will County. A moratorium should be placed on new warehouses until a comprehensive land use and transportation plan is developed and adopted by all stakeholders in Will County.
Read this article to learn how warehouses affect local residents and workers.
