FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2009
Contact: Jason Gerwig
630/407-6022
GONZALEZ CONTINUES TO RAISE CONCERNS REGARDING TREE TRIMMING
DU PAGE COUNTY -- DuPage County Board Member Rita Gonzalez (District 1) is voicing her concerns about the plan proposed by Commonwealth Edison at the recent meeting of the DuPage County's Ad Hoc Trails Maintenance Committee.
"In Com Ed's proposal they still want to spay herbicides for many miles along our trails and they only want to replace 750 trees in place of the thousands of trees they killed and/or damaged. Also they will do nothing to water or maintain the new plantings. It is estimated at the meeting on 9/16 that only 70% or only 525 of these 750 trees will survive. Com Ed should replace every tree they killed during their tree trimming in 2009. DuPage County should also monitor their activities closer to ensure that we lose fewer trees and protect the natural beauty of our trails."
Rita suggests that DuPage County needs a new plan to help protect the trees and our trails "If Com Ed trimmed the trees like they should in a healthy manner we would not need them to replace trees. And I do not see why they must spray herbicides. Thousands of citizens use the trails every day all year around. Low income families use the trails for recreation and commuting. They also eat the berries on the trees/bushes and fish in the ponds and rivers on these trails. I am concerned about the impact to their health when they eat the berries and fish contaminated with herbicides. We need a long term plan of a one for one replacement policy for every tree killed on the trails by Com Ed to ensure our trails natural beauty is protected. Also we need Com Ed to provide restitution to the homeowners where Com Ed killed and damaged trees during their tree maintenance.
Rita concludes "We want the IL Commerce Commission to help us by enforcing its regulation for the healthy trimming of trees everywhere. We want the ICC to hold a public hearing about the damage to the trees and Com Ed's plans to spray herbicides for many miles on an unprecedented scale. Citizens are urged to file complaints may be filed at the ICC's website http://www.icc.illinois.gov/consumer/complaint/wizard.aspx. I will be asking the Environmental Committee of the DuPage County Board of which I am a member to consider my proposal."
For more information about Rita Gonzalez's concerns and the future plans to spray herbicides and remove trees contact her at email address rita.gonzalez@dupageco.org.
