Proposed Illinois cargo airport raises taxpayer cost, environmental concerns

[August 28, 2024]  By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Supporters of a proposed airport in Will County claim the project would have an economic impact of more than $1 billion, but local officials say it would cost at least that much.

The union-backed Illinois Economic Policy Institute released a study saying a cargo-only airport off Interstate 57 in Peotone would boost regional economic activity by more than $1.3 billion.

Will County Board Chair Judy Ogalla told The Center Square that the proposed airport would be an economic nightmare for the taxpayers of Will County.

“The state of Illinois has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars purchasing the land. They spent that money also doing all the different studies. We’ve had study after study,” Ogalla said.

In 2019, Illinois lawmakers allocated $162 million taxpayer dollars for constructing an interchange at I-57 and Eagle Lake Road.

Ogalla told The Center Square there is no infrastructure in the area to support an airport.

“We don’t have roads out here. We don’t have water out here. We don’t have sewer out here. Some people have really lousy internet out here,” Ogalla said.

According to Ogalla, a proposed airport off Interstate 57 is not needed and would cause environmental problems.

Ogalla asked if the state wanted another airport like MidAmerica St. Louis in Mascoutah, Illinois, which opened in 1997.

“It’s been nothing but a boondoggle on the taxpayers that funded the thing all along,” Ogalla said.

The General Assembly passed a bill last year that required the Illinois Department of Transportation to enter into public-private agreements aimed at developing the proposed airport in Will County.

Ogalla said airport projects have been proposed for the area since the mid-1980s.

According to Illinois Economic Policy Institute Transportation Director Mary Tyler, “Data reveals that the long-debated South Suburban Airport will deliver economic growth to the region, create jobs, and support the growing e-commerce industry.”

The ILPEI said the airport would create nearly 8,000 jobs over a multi-year construction period.

Ogalla said the estimate is a lot lower than earlier projections by airport proponents.

“They at that point said it would create 230,000 jobs, that’s when [U.S. Rep.] Jesse Jackson, Jr. was in. Now we’re down to 8,000. I’m not sure what happened in between. There are a lot of jobs that got lost,” Ogalla said.

The Will County Board chair said there would be a negative environmental impact if the proposed airport were built.

“Why would we continue to push for something such as an airport, which is totally not a green source. It’s not needed,” Ogalla insisted.

No one talks about what would be lost with the new airport, she said.

“You’d lose all the local ag revenue by the corn and beans that are produced, which also impacts the seed salesmen, which also impacts implement salesmen, which also impacts your local fertilizers,” Ogalla said.

Ogalla said there is a much better alternative.

“Take this airport property, put it back on the tax rolls. Let the farmers own the farmland and farm it again, using conservation practices,” Ogalla proposed.

Ogalla said the alternative plan would include using a portion of the land for local sustainable agricultural training. A small meat processing plant and hemp processing plant could also be part of the plan.

Ogalla said the COVID-19 pandemic showed how important it is to have a local, sustainable food source.

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