State Sulfur Dioxide Air Pollution Hearing August 4th in Pekin

July 2015

Hog Factory = Paradise Lost
NRG Company Powerton Power Plant, located south of Pekin.

Area residents are needed to attend the Illinois Pollution Control Board public hearing on proposed sulfur dioxide (SO2) regulations, Tuesday, August 4th at 10:30 a.m. at the Pekin City Council chamber, 111 South Capital St., downtown Pekin. The hearing is on state air pollution regulations the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency ( IEPA ) is proposing to meet federal regulations to protect public health from SO2 .

High levels of SO2 in the air are known to harm lung tissue, can cause asthma attacks or even heart attacks. The fine particles can lodge deeply in the lungs causing a variety of health problems. SO2 pollution spikes are most harmful as high levels of the pollutant can cause health problems in a very short amount of time. While the federal EPA wants to protect public health from SO2 pollution spikes, the Illinois EPA is proposing that the NRG Company Powerton Power Plant, located south of Pekin, be allowed to average 30 days of SO2 discharges to meet the one hour regulations. That misses the point of the federal regulations. HOI wants these new state regulations to require that Powerton comply with an hourly limit on its SO2 emissions.

The Dynegy Company Edwards Power Plant south of Bartonville is lacking SO2 pollution controls. The emissions limits for this plant are out of date and need to be much stronger. Currently there is no established deadline for the Edwards plant to install pollution controls. We are asking that the Illinois Pollution Control Board protect public health that is at risk from SO2 air pollution spikes in our area and that IEPA be required to strengthen these regulations. The 2014 “Toll from Coal” report by the Clean Air Task Force attributes 29 deaths, 45 heart attacks, and 490 asthma attacks to the pollution from the Edwards plant. The Powerton Plant is listed for causing 50 deaths, 78 heart attacks, and 850 asthma attacks from the air pollution modelling from this plant.