Sorensen Announces $1 Million to Support Environmental Cleanup in Northern Illinois

ROCKFORD, IL – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) is joining the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to announce a $1,000,000 grant for the Region 1 Joint Planning Commission and its partners to address brownfield sites in Northern Illinois. A brownfield site is land that has been contaminated by pollutants or hazardous substances and must be cleaned up prior to development.

"Too many communities in our district face the impacts of pollution from decades ago," said Sorensen. "I'm thrilled to join the Environmental Protection Agency to announce this funding to build up hard-hit areas and set Northern Illinois communities up to be more economically successful for generations to come. This is what it means to be a good neighbor, to make sure that our communities are healthier and stronger.”  

“The EPA’s award of funding allows R1 and its partners - Boone County, Winnebago County, Rockford Mass Transit District – to assess brownfield remediation along critical industrial corridors.  This allows execution of our strategy for new private investment and redevelopment in neighborhoods who have traditionally seen under-investment.  We are thankful to the U.S. EPA and Congressman Sorensen for this award,” said Michael Dunn, Executive Director of Region 1 Planning Council. 

The funding was awarded to allow the Region 1 Joint Planning Commission and its partners to research sites, assess the extent and type of hazardous contamination, and develop plans to re-develop brownfields in Winnebago and Boone Counties.  

In doing so, this funding is kickstarting the first phases in bringing new developments and new jobs to communities in Northern Illinois. This funding was made possible as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that passed the House of Representatives in August 2021. 

Congressman Eric Sorensen serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal. 

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