On Saturday October 1st, over 55 students from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, the University of Illinois Chicago, the University of Chicago, Depaul University, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Loyola University, and the University of Iowa all boarded a bus to hear directly from community members and organizations in central Illinois’ coalfields who are part of the growing movement to push for a just transition beyond coal here in the Illinois basin.

Today’s students represent the future, and it will be up to their generation to carry on the struggle for clean, healthy and sustainable communities in the coalfields of the Midwest.

Student Coalfields to Clean Energy Tour

Map and Itinerary

See press coverage from the Daily Illini and the Daily Iowan.
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Illinois press covering our new report on coal ash pollution

As Prairie Rivers Network and partners distribute press releases, publish reports, and rally concerned citizens regarding the dangers of coal ash to our drinking water supplies and rivers, the press is taking notice and helping to spread the word around the state.

Joliet residents demanding their Representatives protect their drinking water supplies from coal ash pollution

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REPORT:  “DIRTY DOZEN” IN ILLINOIS CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION BLOCKING PROTECTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH AGAINST “GRIM” TOXIC COAL ASH DUMP SITE POLLUTION ACROSS STATE

EIP and PRN “Name Names” of 12 Illinois U.S. Representatives Siding With Coal Industry Over Constituents Impacted by 22 Coal Ash Pollution Sites – 2^nd Largest Concentration in the U.S.

CHICAGO, IL.///August 17, 2011//Twelve members of Illinois’ Congressional delegation are working to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from cleaning up toxic coal ash dump sites, even though Illinois has the second highest concentration in the U.S. of such pollution problems and in spite of the fact that state officials are doing nothing to clean up the problem, according to a  major new report released today by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and Prairie Rivers Network (PRN).

Titled “Illinois at Risk,” the EIP/PRN report concludes:  “Coal combustion waste or ‘coal ash’ is a toxic byproduct of electricity generation that is contaminating water supplies and harming communities across Illinois due to the lax regulation by the state in the absence of minimum federal standards.  Illinois has the second highest number of contaminated coal ash dump sites in the United States.   Data from groundwater sampling conducted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) at coal ash disposal sites in 2010 is now available, and the results are grim. IEPA found exceedances of health standards for contaminants commonly found in coal ash in groundwater at all 22 sites evaluated in the state. Yet, in spite of years of documentation demonstrating that coal ash is polluting groundwater in communities across the state, Illinois regulators have done little to prevent or correct these ongoing problems.”

The report documents 22 total cases and highlights 10 case studies from the Illinois communities of Joliet, Venice, Hutsonville, Coffeen, Industry, Murdock, Vermilion, Coulterville, and Farmersville.

The report finds that, as part of a broader move by some in Congress to roll back clean water protections, 12 members of Illinois’ Congressional delegation – Reps. Peter Roskam (R-6^th), Joe Walsh (R-8^th), Robert Dold (R-10^th), Adam Kinzinger (R-11^th), Jerry Costello (D-12^th), Judy Biggert (R-13^th), Randy Hultgren (R-14^th), Donald Manzullo (R-16^th), Robert Schilling (R-17^th), Aaron Schock (R-18^th), and John Shimkus (R-19^th) — have voted to strip EPA’s ability to finalize ongoing rulemaking that would provide Illinois residents relief from toxic coal ash pollution.

Commenting on the findings, Traci Barkley, water resources scientist, Prairie Rivers Network, Champaign, IL., said: “When lead was discovered to be hazardous, it was taken out of paint and gasoline.  When asbestos was discovered to be dangerous, we stopped using it in our building materials.  Now that the scientific evidence is in on coal ash, we know coal ash is toxic and needs to be disposed as such.  The elected officials who still think it can be handled with fewer protections than household garbage obviously do not have Illinois residents’ best interests in mind.”

Jeff Stant, director, Coal Combustion Waste Initiative, Environmental Integrity Project, Indianapolis, IN., said, said:  “This is a clear case of elected officials siding with a dirty industry at the direct expense of the health of their own constituents.   In so doing, these Illinois Congressmen have given a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘Dirty Dozen.’  Even though major coal interests are mostly located outside of Illinois, the pain that would be felt by blocking the EPA from enforcing the Clean Water Act would be felt most acutely by resident of Illinois.   Illinois is a perfect example of why the federal EPA needs to be allowed to do its job when it comes to toxic coal ash pollution.”

Matt Wasson, director of programs, Appalachian Voices, Boone, NC, said: “Many of these members of Illinois’ congressional delegation aren’t just trying to block EPA from cleaning up coal ash, but they’re also supporting the greatest assault on the Clean Water Act in its 40 year history.”

To read the full report, including a full run down on coal-related voting record of the the 12 highlighted Illinois members of Cognress, go to http://www.environmentalintegrity.org and http://www.prairierivers.org.

How serious is the toxic coal ash dump site problem in Illinois?
According to the report: “Groundwater was contaminated at all 22 (Illinois) sites evaluated with results showing exceedances of at least one and usually more health standards such as drinking water standards (Maximum Contaminant Levels or MCLs) or health advisories set under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act in the groundwater underneath all disposal sites.   Monitoring data obtained from IEPA by the Environmental Integrity Project showed that arsenic concentrations were 15 times over the MCL in groundwater under the Meredosia Station’s ash ponds, more than nine times over the MCL under the Dallman Station’s ash ponds, and around five times higher than the MCL in groundwater contaminated by ash ponds at the Pearl and Waukegan Stations.  Lead was exceeding the MCL in groundwater under ash ponds at the Joppa and Powerton Stations.  Antimony was at least twice the MCL in groundwater contaminated under ash ponds at the Waukegen and Joliet 29 Stations.”

The EIP/PRN report notes that, if federally enforceable safeguards were applied to transport, storage and disposal of coal ash, the Illinois problem sites most likely would not have occurred as proper site assessments, tracking and monitoring and pollution controls such as covers, liners and cleanup standards would have been required.

ABOUT THE GROUPS

The Environmental Integrity Project (http://www.environmentalintegrity.org) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established in March of 2002 by former EPA enforcement attorneys to advocate for effective enforcement of environmental laws.  EIP has three goals:  1) to provide objective analyses of how the failure to enforce or implement environmental laws increases pollution and affects public health; 2) to hold federal and state agencies, as well as individual corporations, accountable for failing to enforce or comply with environmental laws; and 3) to help local communities obtain the protection of environmental laws.

Prairie Rivers Network (http://www.prairierivers.org) is Illinois’ statewide leader in river protection, conservation, and restoration. As a registered not-for-profit organization in Illinois, Prairie Rivers Network (PRN) is governed by a dedicated board of directors and funded with the support of passionate members throughout Illinois. Prairie Rivers Network works to protect Illinois’ rivers for people, fish, and wildlife.  Much of PRN’s work focuses on how policies such as the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act are used in Illinois—laws intended to protect our waters, our environment, and, ultimately, our health.  PRN is the state affiliate of National Wildlife Federation and a member of Earth Share of Illinois.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Leslie Anderson, for Environmental Integrity Project, at (703) 276-3256 or landerson@hastingsgroup.com; and Traci Barkley, for Prairie Rivers Network, at (217) 621-3013 or tbarkley@prairierivers.org.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A streaming audio recording of the news event will be available on the Web as of 3 p.m. CDT/4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at http://www.environmentalintegrity.org and http://www.prairierivers.org.

Lincoln Ash Quarry, Joliet

New Report Released Today

Listen to audio of the press conference.

In a new report released today titled “Illinois at Risk: Lax Safeguards and No Enforcement Endanger the Water, Air & Lives of Residents Near State’s Numerous Coal Ash Dumps” Prairie Rivers Network and the Environmental Integrity Project document new groundwater data and profiles of 10 contamination sites across the state showing the Illinois EPA’s failure to protect residents from coal ash pollution.

At the same time, Illinois Representatives have voted to take away U.S. EPA’s ability to implement federally enforceable safeguards which would prevent coal ash contamination cases from happening in the future, and guarantee that existing contamination sites are closed in a safe manner.

From the Executive Summary:

Coal combustion waste (CCW) or “coal ash” is a toxic byproduct of electricity generation that is contaminating water supplies and harming communities across Illinois due to the lax regulation by the state in the absence of minimum federal standards.

Illinois has the second highest number of contaminated coal ash dump sites in the United States. Data from groundwater sampling conducted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (hereafter called “IEPA”) at coal ash disposal sites in 2010 is now available, and the results are grim. IEPA found exceedances of health standards for contaminants commonly found in coal ash  in groundwater at all 22 sites evaluated in the state. Yet, in spite of years of documentation demonstrating that coal ash is polluting groundwater in communities across the state, Illinois regulators have done little to prevent or correct these ongoing problems.

As the 10 case studies compiled in this report from the Illinois communities of Joliet, Venice, Hutsonville, Coffeen, Industry, Murdock, Vermilion, Coulterville, and Farmersville demonstrate, state oversight of coal ash disposal has failed Illinois residents living near coal ash dumps.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (hereafter called “EPA”) is nearing completion on a national rulemaking that would set minimum common-sense safeguards for states to meet at coal ash dump sites.   In Illinois, hopes are high that federal safeguards will finally force IEPA to take stronger action to clean up contaminated coal ash sites and prevent more contamination from occurring at new ash disposal sites. Yet under the cover of the federal debt debate, many Illinois’ Members of Congress have just voted to take away EPA’s authority to stop this harm.

As part of a broader move to roll back clean water protections, Representatives from Illinois’ delegation including Representatives Peter Roskam (R. 6^th), Joe Walsh (R. 8^th), Robert Dold (R. 10^th), Adam Kinzinger (R. 11^th), Jerry Costello (D. 12^th), Judy Biggert (R. 13^th), Randy Hultgren (R. 14^th), Donald Manzullo (R. 16^th), Robert Schilling (R. 17^th), Aaron Schock (R. 18^th), and John Shimkus (R. 19^th) have voted to strip EPA’s ability to finalize their ongoing rulemaking which would provide Illinois residents relief from toxic coal ash pollution.

The following examination of coal ash dump sites and monitoring from IEPA reveals contamination of groundwater at many coal ash dump sites in Illinois, demonstrating why our federal legislators should step back and let EPA do its job to protect the drinking water and air of Americans living around coal ash sites in accordance with the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, (RCRA). 

Read Full Report: Illinois at Risk

Please call your representative TODAY to ask them to vote against HR 1391, a bad bill that limits EPA’s authority to regulate coal ash!

A fortunate delay by the House Energy and Commerce Committee (HECC) gives us another chance to tell our elected officials to back off and let EPA do their job in protecting clean water.  The HECC has delayed its full-committee vote on HR 1391, a bill introduced by David McKinley (WV-R) that would prevent EPA from regulating coal ash as a hazardous substance.

The following members are on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and these are the people who most need to hear from us. If any of these people are your Representative, PLEASE make a call.

Coal ash is a dangerous by-product of burning coal for energy. Given that nearly half of Illinois’ energy comes from our 22 coal-fired power plants, it is no surprise that our state hosts over 100 coal ash disposal sites. What may be surprising is that coal ash storage and disposal practices have fewer controls than household garbage and have put Illinois communities at risk. In fact, improper management of coal ash in Illinois has earned us the distinction of having more coal ash contamination sites that any other state.

Given the real threats to Illinois citizens and their clean, safe drinking water supplies, we are disappointed with recent votes by several Illinois representatives to limit the ability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to do their job in protecting clean water. It is important that we tell our elected officials that greater safeguards for public and environmental health are needed and EPA’s responsibilities to do so must be upheld and supported by our elected officials.

The talking points are simple:

• Please vote AGAINST McKinley’s amended bill, HR 1391 and uphold EPA’s obligation to protect human health and the environment in its regulations.
• HR 1391 would derail EPA’s coal ash rulemaking and prevent EPA from adopting science-based regulations to protect health and the environment from coal ash.
• HR 1391 would circumvent the public rulemaking process and throw out the unprecedented 450,000 comments EPA has received on the coal ash rule.
• HR 1391 would threaten EPA’s ability to protect the health and environment of my community and those of other Americans who live around coal ash sites.
• Arguments that a hazardous waste regulation for coal ash would kill recycling are an outrageous smokescreen. Regulation of disposal as a hazardous waste would in fact greatly encourage legitimate recycling of coal ash as such regulation has done for other hazardous wastes.