Pillsbury Mills Site - Fighting for Environmental Justice
Pillsbury Mills, a former food processing facility and EPA superfund site located in a primarily residential area in Springfield, lies abandoned and in urgent need of a redevelopment plan. Read on.... to learn more about the history of the site and to find out how you can get involved....
Springfield Litter Clean Ups
Sangamon Valley Group organizes and co-hosts litter clean up events around Springfield. Check the Calendar for upcoming events.
Clean Water
The Water Sentinels program recruits and trains activists to test and assess their local waterways. We educate them with written materials, hold trainings, help them to acquire monitoring equipment and laboratory analysis resources, and teach them to compile inventories and evidence. Read more....
Clean Water
The Clean Water Act clearly defines our lakes, rivers, and streams as 'waters of the United States' -- as invaluable resources belonging to all Americans. The Sierra Club Water Sentinels program envisions a country where all communities have access to clean drinking water and where the quality and quantities of water in our rivers, streams, lakes and aquifers are protected and managed to sustain the ecosystems on which all life depends.
The best way to implement that vision and to defend our waterways is to empower committed local activists with accurate information and train them in water quality monitoring techniques and grassroots advocacy. Standing knee-deep in the local waters they love is a powerful position from which to advocate for the strongest protections and proactive changes. That's what we do.
Here's how our Illinois Water Sentinels team does it:
Training Volunteers
The Water Sentinels program recruits and trains activists to test and assess their local waterways. We educate them with written materials, hold trainings, help them to acquire monitoring equipment and laboratory analysis resources, and teach them to compile inventories and evidence.
Water Monitoring
Sierra Club's Water Sentinels volunteers are regularly testing local rivers, lakes, and streams in their communities across the state for pollution. When we find problems, we use the data we collect to call attention to them, and to devise solutions. When we find good water quality, we know we've found a resource worth protecting, and we work with local communities to ensure that clean water continues for the future.
Advocating for Clean and Healthy Waterways
Water Sentinels are equipped with the training and experience to be strong advocates to protect Illinois' waters. These teams stand up for clean water across the state by sending letters and comments to state regulatory agencies and legislators, attending public hearings on water pollution permits and advocatinf for strict enforcement of clean water regulations. We encourage individuals and families who have been directly affected by water pollution, and anyone who cares about clean water, to become spokespeople for our watershed communities.
For more information about getting involved as a Water Sentinel with the Sangamon Valley Group, email Jennifer Alongi.