This is part three of a three-part series where Regional Radio News got information from Ameren, EPA, and My Community My Family to get everyone's side of the story of what is happening at the Superfund site.  To see the other parts of this series, click here and here. 

With all of the work being done by Ameren and the IEPA at the Superfund Site in Taylorville, one group is making their voices heard in what they see as a lack of caring, a lack of testing, and a lack of empathy. It’s about protecting children says Mason Boston, PR with “My Community My Family.” Nikki Cisco and Boston sat down with Regional Radio News to talk a little about what they are doing and why working against this project is so important to them. Boston says the relationship between themselves and the EPA has been tense. 

My Community My Family met with legislators and other community leaders including State Senator Steve Mclure and felt that they were gaining some ground. Senator McClure said that he was in good communication with the EPA and that he wanted testing to be done soon. Boston said during the meeting that testing had been done at the test site but not anywhere else and he questioned why.

Since that meeting, Boston and Cisco say the EPA has changed their tone, saying that there needs to be more time, and more planning and even in a press release that Regional Radio News received from the EPA it was stated that the EPA had not observed any threats to human health or the environment associated with the demobilization efforts. According to the EPA, this is one of the reasons Ameren is still at the site due to those demobilization efforts something that was supposed to be wrapped up already but has taken a longer time. Cisco feels that Ameren and the EPA haven’t been proactive enough or communicated enough. 

Since the discussion that Regional Radio News had with Cisco and Boston, Boston says that private testing has been done and heavy metals were found on the southwest side of the site.  

The IEPA still has not given My Community My Family a timeline for when they will be doing testing, regardless of discussions during the meeting stressing the urgency of testing. Cisco says there are ways you can get involved with meetings on Monday evenings and there will be health surveys.

On April 20th there will be Music Bingo Night, which will be a fundraiser for privatized testing and other needs. Find out more information by visiting My Community My Family Facebook page.