Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

Officials and lawyers representing the city said Cahokia Heights had still not received most of the funding.

The lawsuit filed in St. Clair County alleges the metal plant in Sauget — formerly Big River Zinc — improperly stored chemicals, illegally dumped waste and contaminated standing water. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency referred the suit to the attorney general's office.

Cahokia Heights has still not received most of the millions of dollars that state and federal leaders said two years ago would be available to fix broken infrastructure.

Environmental justice activists in Illinois claimed a major victory last week when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ruled that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency needs to revamp its process for permitting polluting industries in residential neighborhoods.

The Illinois Democrat toured homes in the area to see the damage from chronic flooding during heavy rains, which often contains raw sewage.

The East St. Louis fire chief says the problem with Schoenberger Creek was "nothing major." The city plans to call the Illinois EPA to request further testing of the creek that runs between East St. Louis and Belleville.

The Illinois Pollution Control Board adopted rules governing how power plants close coal ash ponds that contain toxic waste on Thursday. The new rules require power plant operators to consider a range of options and allow public comments.

Community participation is a major element of the nearly $1 million grant.

More than half of Illinois' 23 coal plants are closed, and five more will be shuttered this decade. Without clear rules for demolitions, activists say more environmental problems are likely to occur.

A new Illinois Environmental Protection Agency grant could help fix some of the chronic flooding issues plaguing Centreville for years.