PEORIA, IL -- From a news release by the
For anyone who hasn’t heard, we finally got a ruling last month on the Multi-Pollutant Standard. This was Dynegy's proposal to move its coal-fired powerplant fleet to a single pollution cap with no provisions to reduce the cap as plants are retired. We had an unprecedented turnout with over 100 at the downtown library hearing last January and thousands of public comments.
For once, our advocacy worked and the Illinois Pollution Control Board made some important changes to Dynegy's proposal. Although we did not stop the single pollution cap, we got it lowered (to the level recommended by the Attorney General’s office) and we got provisions that the cap would lower even further as Dynegy retires plants. What we did not win was provisions that would stop Dynegy from closing clean, scrubbed plants while allowing dirty plants like Edwards to continue belching pollution into our neighborhoods.
Because of the levels of public participation and the fact that the Illinois Pollution Control Board reworked the proposal rather than giving it an up or down vote, they are holding another round of hearings and public comment.
Here's what we know so far:
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January 29 & January 30
Hearing in Springfield with public comment tentatively from 530-8PM Tuesday night. Daytime public comments can also be arranged for Wednesday during the day.
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The pressure will really be on to fill a bus and make our voices heard in Springfield. We need to safeguard what we have already won and fight for a pollution standard that doesn’t create environmental justice sacrifice zones in communities like ours! = 30 =
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