Ignoring guideline endangers kids
A judge has heard from citizens of Glen Ellyn who are trying to block construction of a gas station that was rubber stamped by the village despite widespread opposition.
There are many documented reasons why this gas station is a bad idea - cluttering an already busy intersection, driving down property values for nearby homeowners, going against the historical plan of the village, etc. - but one reason in particular keeps parents awake at night and has driven them to the unusual step of spending their own money to fight their village board.
The True North gas station proposed for the intersection of Geneva and Main in Glen Ellyn directly puts children in harm's way.
The EPA recommends a 1,000-foot buffer zone around gas stations and schools in their School Siting Guidelines. This station, the one that generated protests, hundreds of people formally vocalizing opposition and thousands of people petitioning against it, is only some 300 feet from Forest Glen Elementary School. It is even closer to a private preschool.
Forest Glen is home to District 41's pre-K program. This program serves local students, but most of its kids are part of the special needs, ESL and at-risk programs. This building, which is less than one third of the federally recommended distance from the proposed gas station, is a haven for the most vulnerable members of our community.
How on earth could the board justify putting those children at further risk through environmental contaminants? Why would they consider ignoring federal advice? What would they think if their three and four year olds were the ones being impacted?
They say "it takes a village to raise a child." Apparently not the village of Glen Ellyn.
Tiffany Ruddle
Glen Ellyn