Congressman Roskam Calls For Funds To Clean Up West Chicago Factory Site

(CBS) -- Suburban Congressman Peter Roskam is trying to keep up the Pressure on the Department of Energy to keep funds flowing for the clean-up of radioactive waste at the old Kerr-McGee factory site in West Chicago and other places, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.

Congressman Roskam toured the former Kerr-McGee site with West Chicago Mayor Ruben Pineda, DuPage County officials and others to make a point. There is a long clean-up underway of radioactive thorium from a milling facility there, but Roskam says the money is running out.

"The Department of Energy dropped the ball over the past few years and they didn't include it in their budget request," Roskam said. "Now that we are back to a normal appropriations process, Congress has the flexibility to say, 'No, we are going to make sure that this is a priority.'"

The House of Representatives approved $20 million for the clean-up in several states and Roskam wants Senate passage too, but he and others are asking the Energy Department to put the funding back in the budget.