Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) and the City of West Chicago are proud to announce $2 million in funding for remediation of the Kerr-McGee Superfund that was included as part of the $1.7 trillion federal spending bill signed by President Joe Biden on Thursday, December 29.
“After an extremely competitive project submission process and many months spent advocating tirelessly for our community, I am proud to deliver $2 million in Community Project Funding for the Kerr-McGee superfund,” said Rep. Casten. “I am proud to have fought for funding that will make our community healthier, safer, stronger, and even more resilient. This is democracy in action.”
Congressman Casten’s office announced the initial passage of this funding with the House Appropriations Committee in July 2022. In September 2022, the City began a search for professional park planning services, which resulted in Upland Design Ltd. receiving a contract agreement. Following the contract the agreement, the City has hosted several community input meetings during November 2022 in an effort to gather community members’ input regarding the development of a new park.
With the continued planning of the new park and the passing of the federal spending bill in December, the City is moving closer towards its objective of revitalizing the Kerr-McGee Superfund site.
In response to the passage of the federal spending bill, Mayor Ruben Pineda of the City of West Chicago provided the following statement.
“The announcement of this funding is a significant moment for our City. This site has afflicted West Chicago for decades, and through the development of this new park we can begin looking towards the future. Representative Casten and his team’s advocacy on our behalf has made a tremendous impact on our community, and the City of West Chicago is indebted to them for their continued support.”
The City will continue to provide updates to the community as it continues its progress of redeveloping the property along Weyrauch Street.
To view previous updates from the City regarding this development, please visit https://westchicago.org/kerrmcgee.