Stream brown with livestock waste from nearby factory farm

BY STACY JAMES

Prairie Rivers Network works with partners across the state to reduce water pollution from factory farms. Livestock waste pollutes Illinois’ water with disease-causing bacteria, antibiotics, ammonia, nitrates and algae blooms. In the most egregious cases, streams turn brown with raw sewage that kills all wildlife inhabitants. Pollution happens when waste storage structures leak or spill, a far too common occurrence that often goes undetected until there is a fish kill. Another way that streams become polluted is when too much manure is applied to farm fields as fertilizer and rain or melting snow carries the waste into nearby streams.

Factory farms are one of the least-regulated sources of pollution. Some regulations exist but they do not require adequately stringent manure management practices. State government is also underfunded to inspect factory farms and prevent problems from happening in the first place.

Consequently, we are seeking changes at the state level that would make a significant impact on Illinois’ rivers. We are focused on strengthening the rules that govern factory farms, and increasing the revenue available to the Illinois EPA for inspections. Fortunately, these efforts are proving fruitful, and we have made new allies along the way.

2 Steps Toward Cleaner Water

After two years of advocating for rule changes that would require more responsible livestock waste management, the Illinois EPA adopted several of our recommendations! The draft rules limit how much manure and liquid waste can be applied to farm fields. Applicators will be prohibited from applying waste close to ditches and other conduits that lead to streams. And the waste storage capacity requirements will be increased, so that overflows and untimely land application are less likely to occur. {Continue Reading »}

Whether you have visited the Upper Mississippi River once, or lived next to it all your life,

we invite you to enter an essay contest: “Our Upper Mississippi River: Connection, Inspiration, Transformation.”

Share your experiences with, and connection to, this natural wonder. How has the river inspired you? How has the Upper Mississippi River changed your life? How do you protect this river you love?

For almost 45 years, Prairie Rivers Network has been working to foster a healthy environment, healthy people, and healthy communities. We have accomplished a lot in those years thanks to the continued support of our members and dedicated, passionate conservationists throughout Illinois.

Making a Difference for Illinois Rivers in 2011:

1. “Traditions” mega-dairy denied permit to fill in stream to make manure storage pond.
2. Industry coal mine is being held accountable for over 300 Clean Water Act violations.
   

   

   Click image to download 2011 accomplishments.

3. Wasteful spending on unnecessary expansion of harmful Upper Mississippi River navigation structures blocked.
4. 30 million gallons of polluted water no longer destined for Coffeen Lake; new coal ash pond at Coffeen Power Station will use state-of-the-art pollution controls.
5. Deer Run and Sugar Camp coal mines required to reduce water pollution & demonstrate new pollution control measures that will set the bar higher for other mines.
6. Voters make a difference! After hearing from our members:
   • Reps. Dold and Biggert changed votes to support EPA efforts to protect air & water from mercury pollution; and
   • Rep. Johnson voted to support EPA’s role protecting clean water.
7. South Sangamon Water Commission’s new drinking water plant will reduce pollution to the Sangamon River and protect onsite wetlands.
8. New habitat conservation plan for Vermilion River will improve riverside habitat.
9. New rules will finally protect users of the Chicago River from bacteria and viruses in sewage.
10. Growing support for restoring the natural divide between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins to prevent the transfer of invasive Asian carp and other harmful plants and animals.
11. Village of Sycamore Sewage Treatment Plant will reduce nutrient pollution to Kishwaukee River.

View Prairie River Notes – Fall/Winter 2011 Newsletter with the following articles:

• Asian Carp’s Watershed Moment
• Factory Farms: 2 Steps in the Right Direction
• Introducing the Bruce Hannon Friends of Illinois Rivers
• State Proposes to Allow Serial Polluter to Open a New Mine
• Annual Dinner Round-up and River Steward Award Winnter – Scott Hays
• Run for Your Rivers

Also take a look at our 2011 Accomplishments.

Illinois EPA Proposes to Allow Serial Polluter to Operate New Coal Strip Mine Upstream of Canton Lake

Help residents protect their drinking water and ask state regulators to do their jobs – sign the petition now!

Residents in Canton are worried about their drinking water. Unfortunately, they have good reason to be. Canton Lake, Copperas Creek, and the people who rely on them are under threat from a proposed 1,000-acre strip mine a mile upstream of Canton Lake.

Over 20,000 people rely on Canton Lake for their drinking water and have taken great lengths to protect this precious resource over the years. For many residents and others who travel to the region, this is an area valued for hunting along and fishing in Copperas Creek, the source for Canton Lake.

Any strip mine would be cause for concern; strip mining coal strips the land of trees and vegetation, regrades the land affecting drainage patterns, and creates water pollution. This would be bad for drinking water. But in this case, there is even more cause for concern. The operator of the mining company behind the proposal for the North Canton Mine (Capitol Resources Development Company) is the same operator for the company (Springfield Coal Company) that runs the Industry Mine. Springfield Coal Company is being sued by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan because the Industry Mine’s environmental compliance record is one of the worst for coal mines in Illinois. The case was originally brought by Prairie Rivers Network and the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club in 2009 due to the mine’s continuous violations of its current water permit dating back at least to 2004 and with over 300 Clean Water Act Violations in the past six years. {Continue Reading »}

Thank you to all of you who attended our 13th Annual Dinner in October. The chance to gather with like-minded river friends, old and new, is one of the highlights of the year for our staff and board members.

Please visit our flickr site for more pictures of our staff, board of directors, members and friends celebrating our rivers at the Annual Dinner.