Rally for air pollution bill held same day as chemical leak from East St. Louis plant

While activists talked about the ways they believe industrial air pollution has affected people’s health, especially in Black communities, at a virtual rally Saturday morning, first responders were working to get an airborne chemical leak under control at an East St. Louis manufacturing plant.

The rally was held by United Congregations of Metro East, Sierra Club and Metropolitan Congregations United to call on Illinois lawmakers to pass a bill that would give citizens a platform to voice their concerns before industrial companies get a permit to build in their community.

The bill would also require companies to assess the potential health impacts to the area. And companies considered to be “major” pollution sources would face a $200,000 permit fee. The proposed legislation is known as the Environmental Justice Permitting Bill.

During the rally, a hazmat cleanup was underway at the Allnex USA, Inc. plant on Missouri Ave. in East St. Louis, where smoke had been reported to be coming from a tanker trailer as early as 6:30 a.m.

JD Dixon, an environmental justice organizer for the United Congregations of Metro East, took to social media Saturday afternoon following the rally to criticize company officials for not yet identifying the chemical that leaked into the air in East St. Louis or the potential side effects of it.

“We need those answers now so the people will know what is going on and the measures they must take to stay healthy,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

The Allnex plant produces industrial coating resins and other materials. Calls placed to the plant Saturday evening did not go through because the phone line was busy.

East St. Louis Fire Chief Jason Blackmon could not immediately provide details about what chemical was involved in the leak.

Mayor Robert Eastern III said in a submitted statement that East St. Louis would be developing a plan to address “post event contaminates expeditiously.”

Mamie Cosey, 81, has spoken out multiple times about fearing for her great-grandchildren’s health in East St. Louis, particularly because they live near the Veolia incineration plant, located in Sauget. At Saturday’s rally, Cosey said she was tired of talking about it.

“It’s time to do something about these plants in residential communities,” Cosey said. “It’s time for us to stand up and say, ‘No more of this.’ And you, the government, should say, ‘Yes, we will come to your rescue. We will help you. We will do something about it. We will monitor the quality of air so that our children will have a healthy life.’ My life is almost over. But what about my three great-grandchildren?”

“Save our families,” she added.