Deal Nearing To Open Back Up Vermilion

With weather like this, imagine being able to canoe on the Vermilion River in Oglesby.  State Representative Frank Mautino thinks it could become a reality once again.

Mautino says engineers and lawyers with Buzzi Unicem and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources met Wednesday in Oglesby to try and finalize a lease agreement where the state takes over ownership of Buzzi’s stretch of the Vermilion.  Mautino says they are down to just a few things to agree on.  Buzzi closed its stretch in June after a couple drownings.

If for whatever reason the lease agreement falls apart, Mautino still is pushing thru legislation that would open Buzzi’s stretch of the Vermilion by state order.  Mautino hope’s to avoid this because it opens things up for a lawsuit and doesn’t address the main issue of safety on the river.

Mautino says the proposed lease agreement offers long-term safety improvements.