DISTRICT OFFICES:
510 S. STALEY RD., SUITE D
CHAMPAIGN, IL 61822
PHONE: 217/607-1853

SPRINGFIELD OFFICE:
108-E STATE CAPITOL
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS 62706
PHONE: 217/558-1006
WWW.SENCHAPINROSE.COM

ILLINOIS STATE SENATE

CHAPIN ROSE
51ST SENATE DISTRICT

5130 HICKORY POINT FRONTAGE RD.
SUITE 103
DECATUR, IL 62526
PHONE: 217/330-9356
FAX: 217/330-9357

October 19, 2017
Hon. Lisa Madigan
Illinois Attorney General
500 S. Second St.
Springfield, IL 62706
Dear General Madigan,
I am contacting you today on behalf of constituents in my district that have been directly affected by a
natural gas leak at the Manlove Field storage facility that is owned and operated by Peoples Gas (“PG”),
near Mahomet, IL. Though I was only recently notified of this incident, I understand that a gas leak
occurred at this site sometime in the Fall of 2016 and an unknown amount of natural gas permeated into
nearby private residential water wells owned by several of my constituents. Of additional obvious
concern is the fact that the water wells in question are sourced by the Mahomet Aquifer that provides
water to over half a million Illinoisans, and that as of this date, no one knows for certain how large the
affected area is or where this natural gas is currently.
After the leak occurred, several homeowners in this area began experiencing abnormalities in their
drinking water, including cloudy water from their faucet, and air “fizzing” or spurting, out of their pipes.
In one dramatic case, I have a constituent who was able to literally light what was supposed to be their
drinking water on fire. Peoples Gas claims, after canvassing the area on foot and testing 33 wells, that
they detected their natural gas in only 5 nearby home water wells, and that they have been working since
to remedy the issue for these homeowners.
However, no independent or thorough scientific study has been conducted to determine the extent of the
leak, where it stops, and who is impacted.
Moreover, after a meeting this past Monday night (October 16, 2017) attended by hundreds of area
residents, it is clear to me that PG’s canvass was less than scientific and certainly not transparent. Many
residents reported that they received “business cards” on their doors but no mention of “why” the business
card was left, and absolutely no mention of any urgency to call PG (and, apparently, no local media
notification). Thus many people who may have been impacted never had their wells tested, and only
became aware of the issue in the last two weeks.
I would cite one case-in-point. After Monday night’s meeting, I went over to one constituent’s home with
another local official. The constituent and his wife, whom I personally know, both told me that in about
December of last year, they started getting a “milky” cloudiness to their water which would disappear in
about 45-60 seconds. Sure enough, I watched as they demonstrated in their kitchen how the water
released from their tap into a clear glass flower vase was initially milky white out of the tap. Within about
50 seconds the “milky” part cleared from the bottom of the vase to the top, leaving nothing but clear water
after dissipating. This is a common sign of natural gas in a water supply.

 This individual has been living with this condition for over ten months unaware that a natural gas leak had
even occurred, and was not part of the 33 homes tested or even included in any disclosures to the State.
Given their proximity to the leak site, and the timeline of when this started, these individuals deserve to
have their water tested by an independent source, and to know for certain what is going on.
Unfortunately, based on my conversations with others at the meeting, I am certain that PG’s self-reported
analysis is filled with gaps, holes, and is otherwise incomplete from other similarly situated folks like this
couple who have not been part of any analysis by PG.
Therefore, based on my personal visualization at that constituent’s home and the verbal accounts of others
who live in the area, I have more than a reasonable suspicion that there are more than 5 affected
homeowners. But, don’t take my word for it, PG itself indicates that no independent study has been done
to know, for certain, the extent of this gas pocket’s actual impact.
General Madigan, this situation is screaming out for exactly that: an independent third party who can get
us factual answers - not “maybes,” “might be’s,” and spin. My understanding is that the State agencies
involved in the repercussions of the leak at Manlove Field have now turned the case over to your office.
I have been contacted by the Village of Mahomet, the Sangamon Valley Water authority, local county
board members, and countless residents at this point. I would entreat you to have your office make this
matter the utmost priority, and file a case against PG in order to obtain an independent third-party study of
the situation.
Finally, my constituents have been put between a rock and a hard place, as they need testing of their water
wells - NOW. Anecdotally, I have heard that PG is asking homeowners to complete certain waivers of
their legal rights in order to get their water tested. Further, I have spoken direct to one of the five owners
who told me that PG removed bottled water service from the home, just as they hired their own counsel to
address the situation.
I would ask that as part of this, that you ask the Court to enjoin People’s Gas from predicating free water
testing on legal waivers and also that PG be enjoined from taking other punitive actions against my
constituents who are simply trying to get factual answers to their very legitimate questions and enforce
their own rights. These folks need water testing and access to clean water – not to be hit with heavy
handed tactics by PG.
If I can answer any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I thank you in advance for your
assistance in addressing this matter for my constituents.
Best Regards,

Chapin Rose
State Senator 51st District