SR0565 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0565 LRB093 22289 BDD 51343 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Mercury is a highly toxic pollutant that can cause long lasting health problems; and

WHEREAS, Mercury is especially harmful for unborn babies; and

WHEREAS, High levels of mercury deposited in our State's waterways have accumulated in fish tissue and forced the issuance of advisories to restrict consumption of predator fish caught from Illinois lakes and streams; and

WHEREAS, Illinois is required to develop watershed-specific clean up plans for waters that are impaired for fish consumption; because a significant portion of deposited mercury can come from outside a particular watershed or even from outside State boundaries, the State is counting on a strong federal mercury reduction program as the most effective tool to restore these impaired waters; and

WHEREAS, A large percentage of the mercury that is emitted as an air-born pollutant from coal-fired power plants is carried by the wind and deposited into Illinois lakes and streams; and

WHEREAS, Coal fired power plants can be equipped with controls to reduce the levels of mercury emissions; and

WHEREAS, The mercury reduction options proposed for coal fired power plants by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in the January 30, 2004, Federal Register are insufficient to adequately protect the State's air and water quality and are skewed to benefit coal mined in western states; and

WHEREAS, A United States Environmental Protection Agency contractor has estimated that, under the United States Environmental Protection Agency proposed rules, 78% of the electric generating units using Illinois and other eastern coals would be required to reduce emissions while only 29% of the units using western coal would be affected; and

WHEREAS, No consideration was given to different coal types in previous United States Environmental Protection Agency rulemaking, such as the Acid Rain program; and

WHEREAS, As a consequence of these new rules, the federal government will encourage utilities to burn western coal rather than Illinois coal; and

WHEREAS, These new rules will trigger a loss of jobs in the Illinois coal industry, where many working families depend upon the industry for their livelihood; and

WHEREAS, As part of its rulemaking proposal, the United States Environmental Protection Agency intends to allow the trading of mercury emission credits between electric generating units that may cause local mercury hot spots; and

WHEREAS, There are currently available control technologies to reduce mercury from all coal types; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United States Environmental Protection Agency to adopt a responsible program to reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants to the greatest possible extent; that, once adopted, the programs be effective in achieving the reduction needed to protect and improve our environment; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the United States Environmental Protection Agency should provide for regulations that establish a national mercury reduction program for coal-fired power plants that is fuel neutral and that achieves environmental gains without creating economic distortions in the coal market; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the State of Illinois does not support the trading of mercury emissions credits between electric generating units, but, if the United States Environmental Protection Agency ultimately considers such trading, allowances should be given to the State to distribute and limits should be sufficiently restrictive so as to prevent local mercury hot spots; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the members of the Illinois Congressional delegation, the Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.