City of East St. Louis consents to Clean Water Act violations and agrees to implement actions to address unlawful discharges of untreated sewage

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - The Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Illinois reached an interim agreement with the City of East St. Louis, Illinois to address the City's Clean Water Act violations.

In December 2024, the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division's Environmental Enforcement Section filed a complaint against the City due to its failure to operate its sewer system in compliance with the Clean Water Act. According to the complaint, the failure led to hundreds of unlawful discharges of untreated sewage to various locations in the community, including the Mississippi River and Whispering Willow Lake in Frank Holten State Park.

On March 11, 2026, the United States, the State of Illinois, and the City of East St. Louis entered a Stipulation of Judgment on Liability, Stay of Litigation, and Interim Relief. The stipulation was approved by United States District Judge David W. Dugan on March 19. In the stipulation, the City of East St. Louis consented to liability on Counts One through Nine in the Complaint.

The parties further agreed to a stay of discovery and the court proceedings to allow for the preparation of a Long-Term Control Plan. According to their stipulation, the City will submit a revised Long-Term Control Plan no later than June 30, 2027. During the stay, the parties agreed to file bi-monthly status reports with the Court on the last business day of every other month.

"This interim agreement shows a shared commitment between the parties to continue working towards the improvement of health and safety in the local community," said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.

EPA and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency investigated the case.

Attorneys with the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Environmental Enforcement Section and Illinois Attorney General's office are handling the case.