As a Highland Park resident who drinks our tap water, I am concerned about the Army's decision to leave the toxic landfill/ravine at Lake Michigan in Fort Sheridan.

This same unlined, and claycapped landfill has leaked toxins into the lake just thousands of feet from the Highwood and Highland Park drinking water intakes.

The new $6 million cap (under construction now) will not solve the problem of shore erosion, or water infiltration from the sides of this 100-year-old dump.

If it takes $25,000,000 of Superfund money to remove and properly dispose of this potential heath hazard, then let's take care of it now before the costs escalate.

The southern half of the base (still military) should not be sold to developers until landfill 6/7 is entirely removed.

The Navy has already removed all of its personnel from the housing on top of this landfill because of leaking Vinyl Chloride fumes in the air.

The current plan calls for soccer fields on top of this landfill. My kids will never play on top of this landfill.

All residents of Highwood and Highland Park should demand that their elected officials put pressure on the Army, and the Navy (the current landowner) to remove the toxins before anyone is injured by the poisons that lurk below the ground.

Sincerely,

Gary Cohn, Founder

FortSheridan.org
926-4444