FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24th, 2013
Canton Residents Call on Governor Quinn to Halt Renewal of Strip Mine Permit that Threatens Drinking Water Supply
Illinois Department of Natural Resources is Side-Stepping Public Participation and Ignoring Administrative Decision with Plan to Renew “Denied” Mine Permit
Canton, IL – At a public hearing in Canton on Wednesday night, dozens of residents expressed outrage and frustration that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is moving ahead with plans to process a renewal application for the North Canton strip mine.
In February, Canton Area Citizens for Environmental Issues (CACEI) and the Illinois Sierra Club celebrated a decision in a state permit review hearing denying the permit for the North Canton mine. They were surprised to learn that instead of requiring the mine to submit a new permit application in light of the decision, IDNR instead would process the application and issue modifications at the time of renewal.
“The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is silencing the people of Canton who have worked tirelessly for the past 6 years to protect Canton Lake from coal mine pollution,” said Brenda Dilts, chair of the Canton Area Citizens for Environmental Issues. She added, “Our community’s drinking water is at stake.”
Other speakers raised concerns about new information that has come to light since the mining permit was originally issued.
“Our understanding of the Canton Lake watershed has significantly improved since the mine received its original permit in 2008,” explained Dr. Cindy Skrukrud, Clean Water Advocate with the Illinois Chapter Sierra Club. She added, “The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency recently released a report which demonstrated that several of the streams that the mine would destroy are a key conduit for replenishing Canton Lake’s supply of drinking water.”
The North Canton Mine would be located slightly more than a mile upstream of Canton Lake, which provides drinking water for over half of Fulton County’s’s residents. The strip mine proposes to dam feeder streams and destroy other surface waterways in the watershed above Canton Lake.
Further, the owners of the mining company have been the target of legal action by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office on account of extensive water pollution violations at their mine near Industry, IL in Schuyler and McDonough counties. The Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Illinois Sierra Club, and Prairie Rivers Network are also parties to that suit.
In November, the Illinois Pollution Control Board affirmed that the Industry Mine violated its permit 624 times over a period of 8 years. The violations included unlawful discharges of iron, manganese, sulfates, acid, and total suspended solids–enough pollution to pose serious threats to water quality.
“Because of its close proximity to Canton Lake, this location was never appropriate for a strip coal mine,” said Brian Perbix, Grassroots Organizer with the Prairie Rivers Network. He added, “The Illinois Department of Natural Resources should not let a company with such an abysmal pollution record put Canton’s drinking water at risk.”
Contact:
Brenda Dilts, Canton Area Citizens for Environmental Issues, 309-649-1938
Cindy Skrukrud, Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club, (312) 251-1680 x110
Brian Perbix, Prairie Rivers Network, (217) 344-2371 x208
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