In the shadows of Illinois’ big, recent climate wins lurks a terrifying reality: coal.
The horrors come from coal fired power production and our state’s more than 200-year-legacy of coal mining.
In communities across Illinois, unreclaimed coal mines still leak toxic pollution into rivers and groundwater. Coal-fired power plants continue to pump pollution into the air, despite growing efforts to shift to cleaner energy. And let’s not forget coal ash — the waste left over from burning coal — sitting in unlined pits across the state, leaking harmful chemicals into our waterways.
The reality is chilling. Coal may seem like a thing of the past, but its legacy remains — and it’s up to us to address it.
We are facing a climate disaster that touches every part of our country. Coal production and the burning of coal has been and continues to be a major factor in climate change. Join us in our work to transition Illinois to a cleaner energy future. By donating today, you can help us continue to do this crucial work.
Current State of Coal Mining in Illinois
Even today, Illinois is the nation’s fourth-largest producer of coal, mining more today than 20 years ago – even with less active mines and less employed miners.
The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act has created a timeline for Illinois to move away from gas- and coal-fired power plants between now and 2045 – but the law does not address the future of coal mining in the state.
As it stands now, we’re exporting our carbon emissions.
According to an analysis done by the Chicago Tribune, during 2020 alone, the burning of coal mined in Illinois released 57 million tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These emissions are more than the emissions of coal and gas-fired power plants in Illinois, which emitted 46 million tons in that year.
Only a quarter of the coal mined here in Illinois is burned here. According to the Energy Information Administration, half of the coal mined in Illinois is shipped to other states, primarily Kentucky and Florida, while the remaining quarter is shipped to other countries.
Of the 14 mines still active in Illinois, environmental, health, and worker safety impacts are common. Faulty equipment and poor training is common, according to a recent investigation by Energy News Network. Some of the state’s biggest mines, like Pond Creek and Sugar Camp, are the worst offenders, facing lawsuits and fines from state and federal entities, as well as Illinois Sierra Club and PRN (like this, this, and this). Most of the coal mined in Illinois (97.7%) comes from underground mines, many of which cause the ground surface to sink, or subside, damaging farmland.
Illinois Communities are Locked into Keeping Our Biggest Coal Polluter in Business
The Prairie State coal plant in Southern Illinois is not only the largest polluter in the state, it’s also one of the largest greenhouse gas polluters in the country. It pumps 12 million tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide yearly, spews dangerous soot pollution that causes severe health risks, is the state’s largest source of toxic sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, and has generated an astounding 20 million cubic yards and counting of coal ash waste that threatens to contaminate our groundwater with arsenic and lead.
All of this pollution takes a deadly toll. It’s estimated that the air pollution from Prairie State contributes to 76 premature deaths every year, with children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions facing the highest risk.
Today, 59 municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives, from Naperville to the southern tip of the state, are key to keeping our biggest coal polluter in business. Unfortunately many of these communities are still locked into expensive, long-term contracts with Prairie State, creating a major roadblock in our state’s clean energy transition.
All communities in Illinois deserve to have a chance to embrace a future of clean energy – not being locked into buying from costly, polluting power sources.
Legacy Pollution from Coal Mines
Across Illinois, hundreds of thousands of acres have been damaged by coal production, and many coal communities are still suffering from the lack of clean-up at old mine sites. Despite being closed for years, these sites continue to pollute the environment.
Fortunately, new federal laws have provided millions of dollars to clean up “abandoned mine lands” mined before 1977, when there were no rules requiring clean-up. But for mines closed after 1977, where clean-up was supposed to be handled by the mining companies, progress hasn’t always gone as planned.
Earlier this year, we helped launch a platform to address “Zombie coal mines” — sites where coal production has stopped, but pollution continues. In Illinois, at least seven of these post-1977 coal mines are still polluting surface and groundwater today. The Murdock Mine near Champaign and sites in Macoupin, Saline, and Gallatin counties are still unreclaimed and polluting water despite having been closed for years.
The impact of coal doesn’t stop at pollution. When mines close, communities lose jobs and are left at an economic disadvantage. At Prairie Rivers Network, we believe these communities must be at the heart of the clean energy transition.
The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act provides support for coal communities by investing millions to help them recover and rebuild. We are committed to working with these areas to clean up pollution and explore new opportunities in clean energy.
What Can You Do?
Right now, you can help keep Illinois from mining 250 million more tons of coal.
The Tennessee Valley Authority, a federally owned public power provider, is considering leasing over 20,000 acres of publicly owned coal beneath Illinois farmland to Sugar Camp Mine in Southern Illinois.
If the plan is approved, Sugar Camp Mine would extract over 250 million more tons of coal from the ground between now and 2050. When burned, that coal would produce greenhouse gas emissions that are warming our planet, causing catastrophic impacts to people and the environment. TVA is requesting public comment on a Draft Environmental Impact Statement. You can take action with us to demand TVA keeps their coal in the ground and prioritizes clean energy over more coal extraction.
Together, we can push back against this harmful decision and protect the environment for generations to come. You can also donate today to support this work. We are working tirelessly every day to clean up this pollution and ensure more degradation doesn’t happen.
Together, we can ensure a brighter and cleaner future for Illinois’ energy communities.
This October, we are highlighting the horrors of pollution in Illinois. Each Sunday this month, we will highlight a different issue that we’re working to clean up, stop in its tracks and work to ensure that all Illinoisians have a right to a healthful environment, as ensured in our Illinois Constitution. This week our series continues as we dive into ethanol, its influence and impact on Illinois.
