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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The portion of Cahokia Heights formerly known as | ||||||
| 3 | Centreville is a community in St. Clair County with a | ||||||
| 4 | population of almost 5,000 residents; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, According to the latest census data, the | ||||||
| 6 | population of this area is 93% African-American, and the | ||||||
| 7 | average household income is $32,595; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Since the 1980s, pump stations designed to pump | ||||||
| 9 | sewage away from homes and neighborhoods in Centreville have | ||||||
| 10 | barely functioned, with moderate rainfall often leading to raw | ||||||
| 11 | sewage flooding streets and homes; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, In 2009, the Illinois EPA ruled that the Harding | ||||||
| 13 | Ditch, which drains the flood plain on which Centreville sits, | ||||||
| 14 | contained hazardous levels of fecal coliform; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, Many residents of the Centreville community have | ||||||
| 16 | requested that the State of Illinois and U.S. Government | ||||||
| 17 | declare an environmental health crisis, as numerous residents | ||||||
| 18 | suffer from health issues due to the unsanitary conditions; | ||||||
| 19 | and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, The situation in Centreville is an example of why | ||||||
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| 1 | appropriate steps are needed to advance environmental justice | ||||||
| 2 | and eradicate systemic racism in public policy and all areas; | ||||||
| 3 | therefore, be it
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| 4 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | ||||||
| 5 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the U.S. | ||||||
| 6 | Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Emergency | ||||||
| 7 | Management Agency, the Illinois Department of Public Health, | ||||||
| 8 | the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the St. Clair | ||||||
| 9 | County Emergency Management Agency, the St. Clair County | ||||||
| 10 | Public Health Department, the St. Clair County Public Works | ||||||
| 11 | Department, and all other local officials to continue to work | ||||||
| 12 | collaboratively to direct the necessary resources to the | ||||||
| 13 | community formerly known as Centreville to address this | ||||||
| 14 | pressing human rights issue in the State of Illinois; and be it | ||||||
| 15 | further
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| 16 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 17 | delivered to the aforementioned units of local and federal | ||||||
| 18 | government, the Office of the Governor, all members of the | ||||||
| 19 | General Assembly, and the St. Clair County Board.
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