REPORT: ABOUT A DOZEN ILLINOIS U.S. REPRESENTATIVES BLOCKING PROTECTION OF
PUBLIC HEALTH AGAINST “GRIM” TOXIC COAL ASH DUMP SITE POLLUTION ACROSS STATE
EIP and PRN “Name Names” of 12 Illinois U.S. Representatives Siding With Coal Industry Over
Constituents Impacted by 22 Coal Ash Pollution Sites – 2nd Largest Concentration in the U.S.
CHICAGO, IL.///August 17, 2011//Eleven members of Illinois’ Congressional delegation are working to
block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from cleaning up toxic coal ash dump sites, even
though Illinois has the second highest concentration in the U.S. of such pollution problems and in spite of
the fact that state officials are doing nothing to clean up the problem, according to a major new report
released today by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and Prairie Rivers Network (PRN).
Titled “Illinois at Risk,” the EIP/PRN report concludes: “Coal combustion waste or ‘coal ash’ is a toxic
byproduct of electricity generation that is contaminating water supplies and harming communities across
Illinois due to the lax regulation by the state in the absence of minimum federal standards. Illinois has the
second highest number of contaminated coal ash dump sites in the United States. Data from
groundwater sampling conducted by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) at coal ash
disposal sites in 2010 is now available, and the results are grim. IEPA found exceedances of health
standards for contaminants commonly found in coal ash in groundwater at all 22 sites evaluated in the
state. Yet, in spite of years of documentation demonstrating that coal ash is polluting groundwater in
communities across the state, Illinois regulators have done little to prevent or correct these ongoing
problems.”
The report documents 22 total cases and highlights 10 case studies from the Illinois communities of
Joliet, Venice, Hutsonville, Coffeen, Industry, Murdock, Vermilion, Coulterville, and Farmersville.
The report finds that, as part of a broader move by some in Congress to roll back clean water protections,
12 members of Illinois’ Congressional delegation – Reps. Peter Roskam (R-6th), Joe Walsh (R-8th),
Robert Dold (R-10th), Adam Kinzinger (R-11th), Jerry Costello (D-12th), Judy Biggert (R-13th), Randy
Hultgren (R-14th), Donald Manzullo (R-16th), Robert Schilling (R-17th), Aaron Schock (R-18th), and John
Shimkus (R-19th) -- have voted to strip EPA’s ability to finalize ongoing rulemaking that would provide
Illinois residents relief from toxic coal ash pollution.
Commenting on the findings, Traci Barkley, water resources scientist, Prairie Rivers Network,
Champaign, IL., said: “When lead was discovered to be hazardous, it was taken out of paint and
gasoline. When asbestos was discovered to be dangerous, we stopped using it in our building
materials. Now that the scientific evidence is in on coal ash, we know coal ash is toxic and needs
to be disposed as such. The elected officials who still think it can be handled with fewer
protections than household garbage obviously do not have Illinois residents’ best interests in
mind.”
Jeff Stant, director, Coal Combustion Waste Initiative, Environmental Integrity Project, Indianapolis, IN.,
said: “This is a clear case of elected officials siding with a dirty industry at the direct expense of
the health of their own constituents. Even though major coal interests are mostly located outside
of Illinois, the pain that would be felt by blocking the EPA from enforcing the Clean Water Act
would be felt most acutely by resident of Illinois. Illinois is a perfect example of why the federal
EPA needs to be allowed to do its job when it comes to toxic coal ash pollution.”
Matt Wasson, director of programs, Appalachian Voices, Boone, NC, said: "In addition to voting to
block EPA's ability to update rules on coal ash, many members of Illinois' delegation have voted
to loosen regulations on the devastating practice of mountaintop removal coal mining in
Appalachia. It's hard to understand why these members would be supporting mountaintop
removal and the greatest assault on the Clean Water Act in the 40 year history of that law, and I
don't think it's because their constituents want them to."
To read the full report, including a full rundown on coal-related voting record of the 12 highlighted Illinois
members of Congress, go to http://www.environmentalintegrity.org and http://www.prairierivers.org.
How serious is the toxic coal ash dump site problem in Illinois?
According to the report: “Groundwater was contaminated at all 22 (Illinois) sites evaluated with results
showing exceedances of at least one and usually more health standards such as drinking water
standards (Maximum Contaminant Levels or MCLs) or health advisories set under the federal Safe
Drinking Water Act in the groundwater underneath all disposal sites. Monitoring data obtained from IEPA
by the Environmental Integrity Project showed that arsenic concentrations were 15 times over the MCL in
groundwater under the Meredosia Station’s ash ponds, more than nine times over the MCL under the
Dallman Station’s ash ponds, and around five times higher than the MCL in groundwater contaminated by
ash ponds at the Pearl and Waukegan Stations. Lead was exceeding the MCL in groundwater under ash
ponds at the Joppa and Powerton Stations. Antimony was at least twice the MCL in groundwater
contaminated under ash ponds at the Waukegen and Joliet 29 Stations.”
The EIP/PRN report notes that, if federally enforceable safeguards were applied to transport, storage and
disposal of coal ash, the Illinois problem sites most likely would not have occurred as proper site
assessments, tracking and monitoring and pollution controls such as covers, liners and cleanup
standards would have been required.
ABOUT THE GROUPS
The Environmental Integrity Project (http://www.environmentalintegrity.org) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit
organization established in March of 2002 by former EPA enforcement attorneys to advocate for effective
enforcement of environmental laws. EIP has three goals: 1) to provide objective analyses of how the
failure to enforce or implement environmental laws increases pollution and affects public health; 2) to hold
federal and state agencies, as well as individual corporations, accountable for failing to enforce or comply
with environmental laws; and 3) to help local communities obtain the protection of environmental laws.
Prairie Rivers Network (http://www.prairierivers.org) is Illinois’ statewide leader in river protection,
conservation, and restoration. As a registered not-for-profit organization in Illinois, Prairie Rivers
Network (PRN) is governed by a dedicated board of directors and funded with the support of
passionate members throughout Illinois. Prairie Rivers Network works to protect Illinois’ rivers for
people, fish, and wildlife. Much of PRN’s work focuses on how policies such as the Clean Water Act and
Safe Drinking Water Act are used in Illinois—laws intended to protect our waters, our environment, and,
ultimately, our health. PRN is the state affiliate of National Wildlife Federation and a member of Earth
Share of Illinois.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Leslie Anderson, for Environmental Integrity Project, at (703) 276-3256 or
landerson@hastingsgroup.com; and Traci Barkley, for Prairie Rivers Network, at (217) 621-3013 or
tbarkley@prairierivers.org.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A streaming audio recording of the news event will be available on the Web as of 3
p.m. CDT/4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at http://www.environmentalintegrity.org and
http://www.prairierivers.org.