Illinois Democrats Ask Evers To Review Foxconn Impact

Lawmakers Say Facility's Stormwater Run-Off Could Exacerbate Flooding In Des Plaines River Watershed

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Equipment at the Foxconn construction site
Equipment has been moved to the Foxconn construction site in Racine County ahead of planned groundbreaking. Chuck Quirmbach/WPR

Illinois Democrats are asking Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers to re-evaluate the environmental impact of a Foxconn Technology Group facility in Racine County.

U.S. Reps. Brad Schneider and Lauren Underwood along with Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth sent Evers a letter Friday saying the facility’s stormwater run-off could exacerbate flooding in the Des Plaines River watershed and affect communities in northeastern Illinois’ Lake County. The Democrats want Evers’ administration to conduct a stringent review of Foxconn’s construction plans with a careful look at stormwater management.

Republican legislators in Wisconsin exempted the facility from a host of environmental regulations, allowing the company to fill wetlands without permits and proceed without an environmental impact statement.

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Evers has already pledged to review the facility’s air pollution permit.

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