SR0437 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0437 LRB097 14072 KXB 59680 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The links between coal production, economic growth, prosperity, and energy security are unbreakable; and

WHEREAS, Coal is the main source of energy throughout the world, provides half of the electricity used in the United States, and is a considerable amount of the electricity generated in the midwest and Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Coal Association reports that of all the states, Illinois has the largest reported bituminous coal resources with almost 25% of our nation's reserves; coal bearing rocks underlie about 65% of Illinois (36,806 out of a total of 56,500 square miles), including all or parts of at least 86 of the 102 counties in the State; and

WHEREAS, According to the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) there are 100 billion tons of recoverable coal beneath the surface of Illinois, enough coal to meet the country's need for coal for the next 100 years; there is more energy content in the coal in Illinois than in the oil in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait combined; and

WHEREAS, The industry that mines coal is a highly mechanized one; at the start of 2008, there were 17 mines operating in central and southern Illinois; the bulk of these mines are operated by leading companies in American coal mining; Illinois coal mines produced 32.4 million tons of coal in 2007; and

WHEREAS, Coal mine lands are being restored, as part of the reclamation process, to meet ongoing, economic, recreational, educational, transportation, and housing needs of local communities and the State; and

WHEREAS, The backlog of permit approvals and the lack of transparency in the federal permitting process are jeopardizing jobs, economic opportunity, and coal production throughout Illinois and the region; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Illinois General Assembly call upon the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the President's Council on Environmental Quality, and the Illinois congressional delegation and other State government officials to support coal production and the jobs, economic growth, and energy security provided by coal mining by fixing a regulatory system that is frustrating these vital objectives; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be sent to the head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the President's Council on Environmental Quality, and the members of the Illinois congressional delegation.