Good news!
In an effort to avoid a coal ash catastrophe like the massive spill in North Carolina, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has answered our call for greater oversight of coal ash pits. IDNR will now be inspecting every coal ash impoundment for structural integrity. In addition to these changes, IDNR has announced the following policy improvements:
• Increased inspections of all coal ash impoundments: In the wake of recent failures of coal ash impoundments in North Carolina and West Virginia resulting in contamination, IDNR’s Office of Water Resources will visually inspect all coal ash impoundments in Illinois for structural integrity, to protect our natural resources.
• Strengthen internal oversight of permit applications: The IDNR has added a position of General Counsel to the Office of Mines and Minerals to specifically focus on matters related to the Illinois statutes and regulations related to coal and aggregate mining, blasting and explosives, mine safety, and abandoned mined lands reclamation. All permits will be reviewed against legal standards by the Office of Mines and Minerals General Counsel before submission to the Director of the Office of Mines and Minerals.
• Additional public oversight added to State Mining and Oil and Gas Boards: The IDNR proposes that two additional appointed members be added to the State Mining Board, and that two additional members be added to the State Oil and Gas Board. Each board would add two representatives of the general public who have no financial interest in mining and/or oil or gas operations in the State of Illinois.
• Improved information collection: The IDNR has redesigned and updated Oil and Gas Permit Application which will improve the information exchange process and allow the agency to better collect and review information from applicants.
• Conflict of interest policy update: The IDNR is strengthening its agency-wide policy on conflicts of interest to provide more specific guidance to employees with respect to prohibited acts, and areas of potential or apparent conflict.
