Village President Addresses La Grange Stormwater Management Project

LA GRANGE, IL — Village President of La Grange Tom Livingston recently issued a statement regarding the stormwater management project. According to the statement, which was posted on the village's website, Lehigh Hanson brought suit against the village in July 2016, which delayed the start of construction of a high priority storm sewer.

The funds for that sewer were approved in April 2015 by a village-wide referenda, Livingston said. The storm sewer is planned for underneath 50th Street in La Grange, from approximately Stone Avenue into the Hanson quarry.

According to the statement, the pipe previously had continued underground in an easement across the quarry into a drainage ditch until it was destroyed in the early 1990s by Hanson. Storm water would flow into the McCook Ditch and beyond. Livingston said since the pipe was destroyed the water has flowed into the quarry and is pumped into the remaining segment of La Grange's severed pipe on the east side of the quarry.

Livingston said the village’s storm sewer project would be approximately 50 percent complete at this point if there was no lawsuit. The village had been working with Hanson on mutually optimal solutions. According to the statement, Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski previously convened three meetings this spring with the village and Hanson which were aimed at settlement.

Ultimately, Hanson quarry did not make a settlement offer, Livingston said. According to the statement, Hanson is still proceeding with an expansion of its operations adjacent to La Grange to mine underground.

Livingston said the village has no complaint with Hanson’s commercial success, but the village feels Hanson has not sacrificed as La Grange has by allowing its project to move forward while stopping the village’s project.

"We believe the village has proposed the best, time-tested option for passing its clean storm water for both Hanson and the Village," Livingston said. "The village has also worked closely with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and its professional team on this and other projects over the years to improve the quality of life for residents."

According to the statement, the court case has reached the last of the depositions and other discovery are being completed and the matter is before Cook County Circuit Court Judge Cohen.

"La Grange is committed, on behalf of the several thousand residents impacted by this delay, to
vigorously pursue a successful outcome from the litigation and begin construction of the storm sewer as
soon as feasible," Livingston said.

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