Happening Now…

In a statement responding to the lawmakers’ calls for action, Equity Legal Services praised Duckworth but offered some criticism of Durbin and Budzinski.

“Equity Legal Services appreciates the attention that federal leaders are now bringing to the recently released community water testing results,” the community nonprofit stated. “We especially want to acknowledge the engagement of U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth’s office, her dedication to community-centered leadership, and her office’s work to ensure that residents’ concerns are taken seriously and addressed with urgency.

We stand ready to work with any elected official who is willing to engage directly with residents and prioritize the outcomes the community itself is calling for. At the same time, it is important to recognize that the offices of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski have attended community meetings for years where residents raised these same concerns about water quality and repeatedly shared their experiences, fears, and requests for action. Yet, until very recently those concerns were not reflected in public calls for stronger oversight or intervention.”

The organization added that calls for increased water testing are helpful, but it believes the community needs “an immediate public health response,” including a public health emergency declaration and bottled water distributions. “Families should not have to wait for additional rounds of testing to be provided with access to clean, safe drinking water.” Read more.