After months of intense activity, the Illinois General Assembly’s spring session came to a screeching halt May 31, 2011. Prairie Rivers Network and our colleagues worked until the end to pass S.B. 1682, a bill that would establish a permit fee for livestock operations that discharge pollution into a river or stream. Unfortunately, legislator absences […]
Historic Leap Forward for Chicago River
Yesterday, eight members of a powerful board in Chicago promised to change business as usual and vote to disinfect billions of gallons of sewage that’s dumped into Chicago waters every day. After more than a decade of resisting public demands, eight of nine commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) publicly […]
ACTION ALERT: Public Hearing on Gateway Mine’s Water Pollution Permit
Coulterville residents need your support! ***** What: Illinois EPA Public Hearing on proposed NPDES Water Discharge Permit for Peabody Coulterville Mining, L.L.C.’s Gateway Mine Where: Sparta City Council Chambers, Sparta City Hall, 114 West Jackson Street, Sparta, Illinois 62286 When: Wednesday, June 8, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. Background: Notice of Public Hearing, Draft NPDES Permit […]
Illinois Stream Turns Brown with Livestock Waste
On May 24, 2011, a biologist working for Prairie Rivers Network observed an unpermitted discharge of livestock waste into a small stream. The waste appeared to be coming from a cattle operation located near the stream, which is on Illinois EPA’s 303(d) list of impaired waters. Prairie Rivers Network staff immediately notified Illinois EPA and […]
Spring Tours Explored Impacts from Life-cycle of Coal
Signs of coal pollution running off of coal stockpile in Carbondale This spring Prairie Rivers Network, along with our partners in the Heartland Coalfield Alliance, sponsored two tours of Illinois coalfields in order to explore the impacts that the entire coal life cycle has on the lands, water, health, and quality of life of communities […]