UP 504- Peoria and Pollution by Andrew McDermott

Peoria and Pollution

Peoria Illinois is rustbelt city with a population of a little over 113,000 people.  Located on the banks of the Illinois River, it was ideally placed between St. Louis and Chicago to become an industrial powerhouse, but that has left a negative legacy.  It has also been a stand in for Everytown America.  The phrase “Does it play in Peoria?” is a popular expression which suggests that the people of Peoria are representative of the people of the United States.  Unfortunately, Peoria is also a cross section of some of the worst of the rust belt post-industrial city.

As of today, the city of Peoria contains five active non-NPL superfund sites, in addition to 13 archived superfund sites, five brownfield sites, and a history of lead poisoning (EPA, 2021).

What are superfund sites?

In the 1980’s congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the Superfund (EPA website).  The Superfund is meant to find areas where land has been polluted to the point where it is a hazard, and force the polluter to either clean up, or pay to clean up the site.  Sites which are especially serious are placed on the National Priorities List (NPL).  Less seriously polluted sites are declared Non-NPL sites.  Finally there are archived sites, which have been remediated, and are no longer considered for cleanup.

What are brownfield sites?

Brownfields are less polluted that Superfund sites, but still suffer contamination or degradation by commercial or industrial usage.  Despite being less contaminated than Superfund sites, brownfields still need to be properly cleaned prior to being put back to productive use.  There are a high number of brownfield sites, and are located primarily within the 61605 neighborhoods (Homefacts, 2021).  Some of the reason that they are concentrated there are the lack of investment within the 61605 zip code, but they add to the cost for anyone who does want to build something there; less space is available to put to productive use.

Lead poisoning and its effects.

The Peoria City/County website currently states that one in twenty children in Peoria suffer from elevated levels of lead in their blood.  Anecdotal evidence suggests that this is primarily from paint in older houses in Peoria.  Lead has a negative impact on anyone who is exposed to even low concentrations.  In adults, lead poisoning results in high blood pressure, memory and concentration difficulties, headaches, and mood disorders (Mayo clinic, 2021).  It’s worse for children, who can suffer learning difficulties, developmental delay, weight loss, vomiting, constipation, and seizures (Mayo clinic, 2021).  Worst of all though, is lead’s bio accumulative effect.  Lead collects in the body rather than passing through, and in pregnant women will pass into the bodies of unborn children, spreading the damage to future generations.

Conclusion

This legacy of pollution has been left to damage the population to this day and will have to be addressed by the city if it wants to reduce the premature death rates within the city, a necessary step for the return of prosperity.

References

·        Charles, J. Brian, and Maciag, Mike, and Vock, Daniel C. 2019. “Segregated in the Heartland: An Investigative Series.” Governing, January 14, 2019. https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-segregation-series.html

·        Groh, Amy. 2009. “The Phrase that Put Peoria on the Map.” June, 2009. https://www.peoriamagazines.com/ibi/2009/jun/phrase-put-peoria-map

·        EPA SEMS. Data extracted Nov. 5, 2021. https://enviro.epa.gov/enviro/efsystemquery.sems?fac_search=primary_name&fac_value=&fac_search_type=Beginning&postal_code=&location_address=&add_search_type=Beginning2&city_name=Peoria&county_name=&state_code=IL&chemical=&program_search=sems&report=basic&page_no=1&output_sql_switch=TRUE&database_type=SEMS

·        Howard, Clare. 2016. “Peoria’s ‘revolving door of poison’ -Childhood lead poisoning devastates families and communities”.  The Community Word, March 1 2016. http://thecommunityword.com/online/blog/2016/03/01/peorias-revolving-door-of-poison-childhood-lead-poisoning-devastates-families-communities/

·        Peoria City/County Health Department. No Date.  pcchd.org. https://www.pcchd.org/169/Childhood-Lead-Screening

·        The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. 2006. “Peoria, Illinois, United States.”  April 25, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/place/Peoria-Illinois

·        HealthCare.gov. n.d. "Federal Poverty Level (FPL)". Accessed November 28, 2021. https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/federal-poverty-level-fpl/

·        Robert K. Nelson, LaDale Winling, Richard Marciano, Nathan Connolly, et al., “Mapping Inequality,” American Panorama, ed. Robert K. Nelson and Edward L. Ayers, accessed November 29, 2021 https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/#loc=12/40.716/-89.67&city=peoria-il&text=intro

·        Homefacts. n.d. “Peoria, Peoria County, IL Environmental Hazards Report- Superfund Sites” Accessed December 1, 2021. https://www.homefacts.com/environmentalhazards/superfunds/Illinois/Peoria-County/Peoria.html

·        Towne, Ursula. 2021. Interview by Amanda Merck. November 11, 2021. Audio, 53.07 https://uofi.app.box.com/file/883511704016

·        Shelley, Tim. 2020. “Contaminated South Peoria Brownfield Slated for Cleanup, Redevelopment.” WCBU. August 27, 2020. https://www.wcbu.org/peoria-public-radio-news/2020-08-27/contaminated-south-peoria-brownfield-slated-for-cleanup-redevelopment

·        Charles, Mike. 2021. FAQ About Brownfields  Cleanup and Redevelopment. Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.  Accessed December 1, 2021. https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/cleanup-programs/brownfields/Pages/faqs.aspx#h4

·        Mayo Clinic. 2021. “Lead Poisoning”. Accessed December 1, 2021. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717

·        CDC. April 5, 2021. “Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention: Pregnant Women.” Accessed December 1, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/pregnant.htm