Douglas Co. Residents Say Mine Reclamation Slow

Residents near a former Douglas County mine say they’re disappointed at the pace of reclamation at the site.

The mine near the east-central Illinois town of Murdock has not operated in 20 years, but reclamation has been slow. Residents also say they worry about potential pollution because the site has been used as a sort of landfill.

The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports that the Illinois attorney general’s office filed a complaint with the Illinois Pollution Control Board in October claiming the site’s owner has polluted the air and a stream because of improper waste disposal.

The complaint says Alpena Vision Resources had permits to haul various substances, including sewer sludge. That practice was halted in April because of odor problems.

Alpena officials did not return the newspaper’s calls.