EPA settlement mandates $30 million sewer upgrades for Cahokia Heights, Ill.
(UI) — Cahokia Heights, Illinois, has agreed to a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the state of Illinois over long-standing sanitary sewer violations. The city will invest an estimated $30 million in upgrades to address improper sewage discharges and improve system reliability.
The settlement resolves allegations that the city violated the federal Clean Water Act and Illinois Environmental Protection Act. Since November 2019, Cahokia Heights reportedly discharged untreated sewage more than 300 times into local waterways, roads, and even residents’ yards and homes. These discharges posed significant health risks, spreading bacteria, viruses, and other harmful organisms.
“Cahokia Heights failed to maintain its aging sewer system, resulting in hundreds of illegal sanitary sewer overflow discharges that created public health risks and contaminated homes and the environment,” said David M. Uhlmann, assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This settlement... includes an estimated $30 million infrastructure investment that will put Cahokia Heights on a path to significantly reduce overflows and ensure effective operation of the sewer system.”
Under the agreement, Cahokia Heights will pay a $30,000 civil penalty and undertake more than 80 capital improvement projects. These include constructing a wastewater interceptor, repairing infrastructure, and implementing digital mapping and real-time monitoring to prevent future overflows. The city must also maintain emergency response plans and keep residents informed about ongoing work.
“For too long, residents of Cahokia Heights have been plagued by frequent sanitary sewer overflows as the result of the improperly maintained sewer system,” said Illinois EPA Acting Director James Jennings. “It is our hope that this settlement... provides residents with further assurance that federal and state government entities are committed to addressing these historic infrastructure issues.”
The proposed consent decree is pending approval in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois and is subject to a 60-day public comment period. More details, including how to submit comments, are available on the DOJ’s Proposed Consent Decree webpage.
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