Environmental

· Endangered plants and/or animals

A 1996 DuPage County Natural Areas Study (by the DCRPC) noted endangered species in Fermilab along the route of the currently proposed highway near Fabyan Parkway.

A 1993 DuPage County Regional Planning Commission (DCRPC) report on the Fox Valley Expressway, which followed the same route as the current proposed highway, also listed several archeological sites directly in the path of the new road.

· Wetlands damage

The road path through Fermilab will directly destroy one lake. The road path will also pass beside natural wetlands that drain into the DuPage River and the shallow water table. The nearby wetlands will suffer from salt and oil contamination.

Wetlands are critical areas because they help control flooding, purify water before it percolates into groundwater or flows into streams, and because they are important food sources and breeding areas for wildlife. Illinois has only a tiny fraction of the wetlands that were originally present.

· Prairie destruction

The eastern edge of Fermilab by Wilson Street contains a prairie remnant. The proposed path of the road would pave over that area.

· Noise

The EPA has guidelines for ambient noise allowable in residential areas (Code of Federal Regulations, section 24). Typically, setbacks of thousands of feet are required to reduce noise to the maximum recommended levels. Noise will not only affect the nearby residents and recreational users of the open space, but also the wildlife in the wetlands and prairie along the path of the road.

· Air pollution from trucks

Diesel truck emissions contain numerous air pollutants. The black smoke seen from truck exhausts is made of soot, which falls under the recently regulated PM2.5 category of particles smaller than 2.5 microns (about 20 to 40 times smaller than a hair from your child's head). The small, chemically active soot particles are a health hazard because they penetrate the natural filtering systems in our nose and lungs. Truck and auto exhaust contains oxides of nitrogen, unburned and partially burned hydrocarbons, some of which are carcinogens. The exhaust also contains sulfur compounds and carbon monoxide.

Vehicle tires effectively kick up fine dust from the roadway, adding to the particulate pollution from tailpipe emissions.

· Flood control in Fermilab area

The lakes on the east side of Fermilab not only provide wildlife habitat; they also are an important flood control measure for the adjoining Warrenville neighborhood. At least one of the lakes will be destroyed by the proposed road. In addition, runoff from the road will enter the local water bodies almost instantly, instead of passing over and through the natural land surface of prairie and wetlands. This may change water flow patterns, and increases the likelihood of local flooding for two reasons - the loss of wetlands that control flooding, and the faster runoff from the paved road surface. What will be done to ensure that nearby homes do not develop flooding problems?