EPA raids city hall

In Crestwood, IL it was reported by the Associated Press that 10 days after the Chicago Tribune had reported that the village water supply was supplemented with water from a municipal well that was contaminated with two chemicals related to a dry-cleaning solvent, that the EPA and FBI raided the village offices.

The agents were armed with search warrants looking for information that would provide evidence that the city officials or employees may have knowingly allowing contaminated water to be added to the public water supply, not just once but for several years.

The chemicals can cause cancer, liver damage and death.

CBS2 news quoted EPA director Scott as saying that the city engineer admitted to falsifying the truth and knew that someone could have gotten ill from this water.

What would make anyone, even a government official send contaminated water to the children and adults of this town? Was it easier? Did it make him any money? Surely not.

I am at a loss to find any reason that someone that the citizens entrust their lives to in providing safe drinking water, could make such an incredibly bad decision. Maybe criminal decision.

Do we, as citizens, need to send water samples out of the tap to the lab? Someone definitely needs to be the watch dog. It appears that the people that we support with our taxes have let us down. Maybe it is time for the citizens to begin to perform performance audits on government employees.

As always, be safe, watch what you eat and drink.
Rudy Westervelt
rudy@powerinlearning.com