Contact:
Andrew Rehn, arehn@prairierivers.org, 217-344-2371 ext. 208
Lan Richart, lrichart@ecojusticecollaborative.org, 773-556-3417
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS VOICE CONCERNS
FOR THE MIDDLE FORK OF THE VERMILION AT HEARING
Illinois EPA to hear public comment on water quality/recreation impacts of Dynegy proposal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DANVILLE — Representatives from Prairie Rivers Network, Eco-Justice Collaborative, Prairie Group of the Sierra Club, Faith In Place, legislators, and members of the general public will voice concerns over a Dynegy proposal for armoring the Middle Fork of the Vermilion, Illinois’ only National Scenic River at an Illinois EPA public hearing at the Danville Area Community College, on March 26 at 6pm. An informal rally before the hearing begins at 5:30pm. The Dynegy proposal would armor over ⅓ mile of river with rock along the leaking coal ash pits once operated by Dynegy Midwest Generation.
Under Dynegy’s proposal, large rock would be installed along nearly 2,000 feet of the river. This would require the placement of over 22,000 cubic yards of fill, some extending over 30 feet into the river channel. Construction equipment operating in the river would dig more than seven feet down into the river bed. Work is expected to take place over six to twelve months.
“Dynegy’s proposal for rearmoring the riverbank isn’t a solution at all,” said Andrew Rehn of Prairie Rivers Network. “The fact remains that moving the coal ash away from the river and out of the floodplain is the only solution that will permanently protect the Middle Fork and the people of Vermilion County from the danger of a catastrophic failure of the ash ponds.
The proposal is a medium-term solution that will pass the problem on to future generations, long after Dynegy is gone. It is merely a bandage for a larger long-term problem.
“The IEPA has already made a tentative determination that the project will not harm water quality, nor harm river use,” said Lan Richart of Eco-Justice Collaborative. “Yet we know that the banks of the river are likely to contain soils contaminated by coal ash and that construction could release these sediments downstream, despite proposed mitigation measures. Recreational use of the river also would be disrupted for months.”
“The Middle Fork of the Vermilion River is a gem of east-central Illinois,” said Alice Englebretsen with the Prairie Group of the Sierra Club. “Illinois EPA’s duty is to protect the Middle Fork for generations to come, but this project falls short. The riverbank armoring project will one day be washed away and the coal ash will continue to threaten our National Scenic River for as long as it remains in the floodplain.”
“This bank armoring project is oversized and does nothing to solve the real problem – continued groundwater contamination from the unlined coal ash pits in the floodplain of the river,” said Cindy Shepherd with Faith in Place. “Coal ash pollution from the Vermilion Power Station is seeping through the riverbank and into Illinois’ only National Scenic River.”
Opponents of the project are concerned that this massive bank stabilization project is just the first step in Dynegy’s plan to cover the coal ash and permanently leave it in unlined pits along the river. Advocates for the river argue that a targeted and less damaging stabilization plan could provide interim protection while the fate of the coal ash ponds is determined by IEPA. They say there is no need to destroy the river if the ash is moved.
Prairie Rivers Network, Eco-Justice Collaborative, partners, stakeholders, and members of the general public will also hold an informal rally before the hearing to highlight their concerns for the health and well being of the river and those people and businesses who would be impacted by the Dynegy proposal.
At Prairie Rivers Network (PRN), we protect water, heal land, and inspire change. Using the creative power of science, law, and collective action, we protect and restore our rivers, return healthy soils and diverse wildlife to our lands, and transform how we care for the earth and for each other. PRN is the Illinois affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.
Eco-Justice Collaborative is a local non-profit that fosters education and advocacy around critical environmental issues, connecting local actions with global concerns. They believe that healthy communities require advocacy and action around urgent environmental issues in ways that connect with struggles for social and economic justice.
Faith in Place empowers Illinois people of all faiths to be leaders in caring for the Earth, providing resources to educate, connect, and advocate for healthier communities. Since 1999, Faith in Place has worked with over 1,000 houses of worship throughout Illinois to protect our common land, water, and air.
The Prairie Group of the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club represents the Sierra Club in east-central Illinois.
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