Suffredin Pushes for Pollution of Minnie Creek

Rod Blagojevich is just the tip of the iceberg, Illinois. Take Larry Suffredin, for example, a crony of Blago and part of the notorious Democrat Political Machine. He's the 13th District Cook County Commissioner, and he doesn't like clean drinking water. Suffredin is currently battling the Kankakee County Board in their fight to stop a proposed garbage dump on Minnie Creek. This proposal would literally dump garbage directly into the deep aquifer by blasting out several feet of bedrock to form the base of a 200 feet high mountain of garbage. The IEPA refused to stop this travesty after they were pressured by a Cook County lobbyists, Larry Suffredin hired by Barbara and Volini, all politically connected to Mayor Daley and Governor Blagojevich. (Source: http://www.k3power.org/) "This proposal," notes POWER, "would literally dump garbage directly into the deep aquifer by blasting out several feet of bedrock to form the base of a 200 feet high mountain of garbage. The IEPA refused to stop this travesty after they were pressured by a Cook County lobbyist, Larry Suffredin, hired by [Fred Bruno] Barbara and Volini, all politically connected to Mayor Daley and Governor Blagojevich." The Daily Journal details the high cost of fighting the proposed dump: The county already has spent six years and $2.25 million fighting over a landfill backed by Kankakee. It lost the last round in the 3rd District Court of Appeals in Ottawa and the Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal. The board has until late January to decide whether to proceed....If the board continues the fight, a number of scenarios could happen. The Illinois Supreme Court could re-hear the case, deny a rehearing, affirm the appellate court's opinion, reverse the opinion, or rehear the case and send it back to the Illinois Pollution Control Board for review. Full Article... The Daily Journal reported yesterday that a local attorney has offered to help the Kankakee County Board continue the legal battle at no charge. Attorney Edward Vogt said he will do it for nothing, he said, because, he said, "It is essential for the protection of the health, safety and welfare of all residents that this landfill be stopped." According to a report from thechicagosyndicate.com in January, "Larry Suffredin -- a self-styled reformer running for Cook County state's attorney -- lobbied for a landfill controlled by Fred Bruno Barbara, a businessman once charged with extortion and implicated in the mob bombing of a restaurant, the Sun-Times has learned. Suffredin, a Cook County commissioner (D-Evanston), has come under attack by rivals for his work as a lobbyist on behalf of casino and drug-company interests. State records show he also lobbied for Kankakee Regional Landfill LLC - a company tied to Barbara - in 2005, 2006, and 2007." The post from thechicagosyndicate also notes that "During the Family Secrets mob trial last year, Outfit hit man Nicholas Calabrese said Barbara participated in the 1980s bombing of Horwath's Restaurant in Elmwood Park. Barbara is the grandson of Bruno Roti Sr., an organized crime boss, and the nephew of late Ald. Fred Roti, who allegedly represented mob interests on the City Council." OUTRAGE, a citizens group, asks this: "Did former State Rep. Phil Novak sell out the area’s clean water source to boost his salary and pension by participating in Governor Blagojevich’s 'Pay for Play'?" Their post, in part, has some explosive information and accusations: In the summer of 2002, Fred Barbara and Tom Volini submitted their first application for a 236 acre Chicago regional garbage dump to the City of Kankakee through their company Town & Country Utilities. The site they chose is a very flood prone area next to Minnie Creek which drains directly into the river two miles away, up stream from the Aqua Illinois water intake pipe. The [Kankakee] city council held a hearing and gave their OK to the proposal after being promised millions in garbage tipping fees. From there the application went to the Illinois Pollution Control Board. The IPCB had a different opinion; they turned it down on the grounds the proposal failed to prove protection of the health and safety of the community. Barbara and Volini responded by appealing the decision all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court where they lost. While the appeal was going on, they filed a second dump application with the city of Kankakee in the summer of 2003 for the same 236 acre location. This was during the first year of the first term of the newly elected governor, Rod Blagojevich. The city council once again approved the dump proposal. Coincidentally local State Representative Phil Novak resigned his state rep seat and the newly elected governor appointed him to the IPCB as chairman, effective December 1 of that year. According to an April 27, 2008 Chicago Tribune front page story, titled "The governor's $25,000 club", Phil Novak threw a fund raiser for Blagojevich in July, 2002 which raised $19,000. It also stated that on July 9, 2002, he personally donated $25,000 to Blagojevich campaign fund and was appointed to the Illinois Pollution Control Board as chairman on December 1, 2003 at a salary of $102,800. The Tribune article says this was a substantial boost in salary for Mr. Novak and a substantial boost to his state pension, when he retired in 2005. It is very unusual for a new person on the IPCB to be appointed chairman. OUTRAGE further asks, "Will the Kankakee County board appeal the Phil Novak Pollution Control Board decision in favor of the dump to the Illinois Supreme Court? They will be voting at the January 13 [2009], 9:00 AM board meeting to either quit or to continue the fight by appealing." Blagojevich looks like a Boy Scout compared to Suffredin and friends. Thank God that Larry Suffredin was never elected governor - or state's attorney. RELATED LINKS BELOW: Landfill opposed but at what cost? Lawyer offers free services to continue landfill battle POWER Petitions The Illinois Supreme Court To Have The Fred Barbara/Tom Volini Garbage Dump Approval Overturned Mayor Green Backed Dump Partners, Barbara & Volini, Hired Cook County Lobbyist, Larry Suffredin To Pressure IEPA To OK Their Dump. Illinois Attorney General Sues Mayor Green's Backed Dump Partner, Tom Volini Over Illegal Dumping. The Capitol Fax Blog » Suffredin attacks, is savaged Suffredin lobbyied for Fred Barbara landfill sued for IEPA violations The Rogers Park Inconsistent - Chicago, Illinois: No Bed of Roses ...