SPRINGFIELD, Ill.— Sometimes when the head of a state agency won’t meet with citizens, citizens will take the meeting to them.
That’s what happened Wednesday (August 14) when a dozen ban fracking grassroots leaders from across Illinois went to the headquarters of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). After not getting phone calls returned, and the group waiting for IDNR officials to come down into the agency lobby, the group decided to take the elevators to their Third Floor executive office suite.
Discovering an empty IDNR Director Marc Miller office, the IPA leaders asked the increasingly agitated huddled staff, “Who is in charge when Marc’s away?” Their answer, “Nobody’s in charge.” Eventually Chris McCloud, Director of Communications met with the group on their demands.
IPA’s purpose in traveling to IDNR was to hand deliver ten single spaced pages of necessary regulatory changes to Illinois’ new fracking regulations. The key points in IPA’s regulatory demands include:
- Citizen participation in the rulemaking process, including regional community hearings.
- Disclosure and transparency of proposed fracking practices.
- Regulatory changes, focusing on radioactivity, water use, local control and corporate liability.
- Inspection and enforcement regimes.
IDNR’s McCloud agreed to deliver the regulatory demands to Director Miller, and convey IPA’s demand for a face-to-face meeting within 10 days to discuss a full and transparent rulemaking process.
“The people of Illinois expect their views and opinions on shaping the new fracking regulations will be taken seriously” said IPA leader Bill Rau who helped lead the group. “Given IDNR’s public creed as a guardian of the state’s natural resources, we expect Director Miller to hold the needs of people and the environment will be more important than corporate interests.”
To read IPA’s list of regulatory demands for IDNR go here:
http://www.illinoispeoplesaction.org/uploads/1/2/6/2/12620849/ipa_demands_of_idnr.8.14.2013.pdf
To contact IDNR for comment call:
Chris McCloud, 217-785-4501, chris.mccloud@illinois.gov
Submitted by:
Annette McMichael
SAFE Communications Director
IPA Leader