The state budget impasse could be threatening the quality of water in Illinois. That's according to Bob Renguso, president of Marlin Environmental, which helps repair underground gasoline and diesel tanks across the state, including the Quad Cities.
WVIK's Sarah Ritter explains.
Renguso spoke at the Rock Island Health Department, alongside Illinois State representatives Mike Smiddy and Pat Verschoore.
Summary
Renguso says gas and diesel tanks are found under schools, churches, businesses, fire stations, and everywhere fuel is needed in Illinois. And, when those tanks leak, they release dangerous chemicals, that can leak into the soil and damage ground and drinking water.
The Illinois Leaking Underground Storage Tank Fund has paid for 27,000 storage tanks to be repaired across Illinois. Right now, about 7,600 still need work.
But, Renguso says the program has $15 million in unpaid bills from work done last year. And since August, all the money in the fund has been unavailable due to the budget impasse.
His firm has been "holding on" since August, trying to do as much work as they can. But, some of his competitors are already laying off employees.
Renguso says the Illinois EPA still requires work to be done on leaking storage tanks, but companies don't have the money to do so. But, the money is actually sitting in the LUST Fund, it just can't be released.
Renguso says the lack of funding for the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Fund not only hurts consultant firms like his, but also contractors, trucking companies, and the entire environmental clean-up industry in Illinois.