A Toxic Threat to Water Quality and Human Health
We Need to Act Now
The Coal Ash bill SB9 passed out of the Senate on May 15. Now the bill is on to the House. It will be heard in Committee on Thursday. We’re hopeful it passes out of committee, and then onto the full house for a vote.
Coal ash is a waste byproduct of burning coal, and contains toxic metals that cause serious health problems, including cancer. Illinois has at least 80 coal ash impoundments at dozens of power plant sites - more than any other state! In 2018, water at 22 of 24 coal ash sites tested in Illinois had unsafe concentrations of dangerous coal ash pollutants.
The best way to ensure that industry—not taxpayers—completes closure and clean up of coal ash sites properly and promptly is to require financial assurance. That means industry must set aside funds in amounts needed to ensure proper cleanup and closure at these polluting sites. Doing so provides companies an incentive to complete the work required to get back the bonds or other funds they have posted.
SB 9 does not allow financial assurances like self-bonding and collateral bonds that would have
little or no value in a bankruptcy proceeding. Many states, including Kentucky, Virginia, Maine, Oregon, and Colorado ban this practice. A USEPA rule gives Illinois power companies until October 31, 2020 to close coal ash disposal areas that fail groundwater protection requirements. The companies have known for years that they will have to pay for closure of their unlined, leaking, coal ash impoundments. Upwards of 50 impoundments must close in Illinois.
What SB 9 Does for Illinois
Senate Bill 9 was drafted in partnership with IEPA and provides Illinois communities the protection they need from toxic coal ash pollution as impoundments are closed.
• Provides a regulatory framework for EPA to approve protective closure plans for coal ash impoundments.
• Requires Financial Assurance to ensure Illinois taxpayers are not stuck with the bill for cleanup.
• Ensures meaningful public participation and transparency for affected communities.
• Focuses on environmental justice communities and high risk impoundments.
• Assesses fees on polluters to provide IEPA the resources they need.
Financial Assurance Protect Illinois Taxpayers
The best way to ensure that industry—not taxpayers—completes closure and clean up of coal ash sites properly and promptly is to require financial assurance. That means industry must set aside funds in amounts needed to ensure proper cleanup and closure at these polluting sites. Doing so provides companies an incentive to complete the work required to get back the bonds or other funds they have posted. SB 9 does not allow financial assurances like self-bondingand collateral bonds that would have little or no value in a bankruptcy proceeding. Many states, including Kentucky, Virginia, Maine, Oregon, and Colorado ban this practice.
So what can you do? Whatever can you do? Glad you asked!
You can call your state rep. Wait a minute. Are you still unsure who they are or what their phone number is? No problem. You can look that up here.
Say you’re a voter in the district, and tell the person who answers the phone that you want your Representative to vote YES on SB9 to protect Illinois communities from toxic coal ash pollution.
Note:The above information was provided to us by the Clean Power Team from the Illinois Sierra Club.
We Need to Act Now
The Coal Ash bill SB9 passed out of the Senate on May 15. Now the bill is on to the House. It will be heard in Committee on Thursday. We’re hopeful it passes out of committee, and then onto the full house for a vote.
Coal ash is a waste byproduct of burning coal, and contains toxic metals that cause serious health problems, including cancer. Illinois has at least 80 coal ash impoundments at dozens of power plant sites - more than any other state! In 2018, water at 22 of 24 coal ash sites tested in Illinois had unsafe concentrations of dangerous coal ash pollutants.
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| "Stacks" by jlgriffiths is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 |
The best way to ensure that industry—not taxpayers—completes closure and clean up of coal ash sites properly and promptly is to require financial assurance. That means industry must set aside funds in amounts needed to ensure proper cleanup and closure at these polluting sites. Doing so provides companies an incentive to complete the work required to get back the bonds or other funds they have posted.
SB 9 does not allow financial assurances like self-bonding and collateral bonds that would have
little or no value in a bankruptcy proceeding. Many states, including Kentucky, Virginia, Maine, Oregon, and Colorado ban this practice. A USEPA rule gives Illinois power companies until October 31, 2020 to close coal ash disposal areas that fail groundwater protection requirements. The companies have known for years that they will have to pay for closure of their unlined, leaking, coal ash impoundments. Upwards of 50 impoundments must close in Illinois.
What SB 9 Does for Illinois
Senate Bill 9 was drafted in partnership with IEPA and provides Illinois communities the protection they need from toxic coal ash pollution as impoundments are closed.
• Provides a regulatory framework for EPA to approve protective closure plans for coal ash impoundments.
• Requires Financial Assurance to ensure Illinois taxpayers are not stuck with the bill for cleanup.
• Ensures meaningful public participation and transparency for affected communities.
• Focuses on environmental justice communities and high risk impoundments.
• Assesses fees on polluters to provide IEPA the resources they need.
Financial Assurance Protect Illinois Taxpayers
The best way to ensure that industry—not taxpayers—completes closure and clean up of coal ash sites properly and promptly is to require financial assurance. That means industry must set aside funds in amounts needed to ensure proper cleanup and closure at these polluting sites. Doing so provides companies an incentive to complete the work required to get back the bonds or other funds they have posted. SB 9 does not allow financial assurances like self-bondingand collateral bonds that would have little or no value in a bankruptcy proceeding. Many states, including Kentucky, Virginia, Maine, Oregon, and Colorado ban this practice.
So what can you do? Whatever can you do? Glad you asked!
Say you’re a voter in the district, and tell the person who answers the phone that you want your Representative to vote YES on SB9 to protect Illinois communities from toxic coal ash pollution.
Note:The above information was provided to us by the Clean Power Team from the Illinois Sierra Club.
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