Coal conundrum

Sierra Club, Greenpeace join fray over coal-fired plants in Pilsen, Little Village

07/21/2010 10:00 PM

By BETHANY REINHART
Contributing Reporter

No Comments - Add Your Comment


Fisk Generating Station, 1111 W. Cermak
MICAH MAIDENBERG/Staff

Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Burne and representatives from the environmental group Greenpeace joined several city aldermen and community activists last week to announce their commitment to seeing what backers call the “Chicago Clean Power Coalition ordinance” signed into law.

The legislation, which was introduced in April by Ald. Joe Moore (49th), would require the two coal-fired power plants in Chicago to reduce emissions by 90 percent and carbon dioxide pollution by 50 percent.

The environmental campaigners held their press conference in Pilsen’s Dvorak Park, steps north of the Midwest Generation’s coal-fired Fisk Generating Station. In addition to Fisk, Midwest Generation also operates Crawford Generating Station in Little Village..

“Fisk has no place in the city of Chicago,” said Greenpeace Climate Director Damon Moglen. “Together the two plants belch out five million tons of toxins every year. No other plants expose so many people to so many toxins as do Fisk and Crawford.”

Burne said the Sierra Club, the country’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental activist organization, has made clean air and moving beyond coal its top priority.

“More than 24,000 Americans die each year because of this pollution,” he said. “Coal-fired power plant pollution is the largest source of mercury poisoning and destabilization of the atmosphere.

“[This] is a real opportunity for Chicago and local officials to set the example — to stand up to dirty energy and demand a cleaner, healthier way of doing business. Change can start in Chicago.”

According to Environmental Protection Agency experts, toxins released from the coal plants are a leading contributor to asthma and Chicago has one of the highest asthma rates in the nation — nearly double the national average.

If passed, the ordinance will allow a four-year phase in process, allowing Midwest Generation, the owner of both power pants, adequate to time comply with new regulations. It will also require monthly and annual certified emissions testing reports and emissions monitoring.

Midwest Generation has previously called the proposed ordinance “an additional layer of legislation” that is “unnecessary and overreaching” given existing state and federal laws.

Thirteen of the city’s aldermen have signed as co-sponsors to the ordinance and 26 votes are needed for it to pass city council. The bill, according to Moore, is currently being held in the council’s rule’s committee.

“That is essentially where bills go to die,” he said. “So we are going to continue to apply pressure and convince rules to hold a hearing or transfer it to the Committee on Public Utilities and Environment.”

Although a date has not been set for hearings to begin, Moore said he hopes the city council will be able to take action on the ordinance this fall. Mell did not return a call seeking comment.

Patricia Mendez, a longtime resident of Pilsen and member of Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization, expressed her frustration with city council’s inability to pass the ordinance and called on 25th Ward Ald. Daniel Solis to support the proposed legislation.

“It seems like the alderman doesn’t care,” Mendez said. “We just want him to sign this legislation and take care of the problem.”

Solis did not return a call seeking comment.


No Comments - Add Your Comment