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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly has made the
3 development of affordable and secure energy from Illinois coal
4 a high priority, as evidenced by the Illinois Resource
5 Development and Energy Security Act and numerous other
6 legislative actions; and
 
7     WHEREAS, New coal-fueled electric power plants and other
8 power plants can serve as a buffer for Illinois consumers
9 against the increasingly high cost of natural gas and imported
10 petroleum; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Delays in constructing new plants elevate the
12 future cost of electric power, which adversely affects
13 purchasers, such as not-for-profit electric cooperatives and
14 their consumers; and
 
15     WHEREAS, New technologies, including circulating fluidized
16 bed boiler systems, can significantly control harmful
17 emissions from power plants built under current State and
18 federal air quality regulations; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Developers have made substantial investments of
20 private funds to obtain land, water resources, and the
21 necessary permits to construct new coal-fired energy products;
22 and
 
23     WHEREAS, It is understandable that citizens residing in the
24 area surrounding a coal-fueled electric power plant may have
25 reasonable concerns over its construction that would best be
26 addressed in a thorough and expeditious manner pursuant to the
27 applicable law; and
 
28     WHEREAS, Case No. 05-cv-0495 was filed on May 20, 2005, in
29 the United States District Court for the Southern District of

 

 

SR0511 - 2 - LRB094 14956 MKM 50046 r

1 Illinois, to challenge the validity of an air quality
2 preconstruction permit that was issued in Franklin County by
3 the United States Environmental Protection Agency; and
 
4     WHEREAS, The viability of this proposed facility may be
5 affected if the proceedings in the United States District Court
6 are unduly prolonged; therefore, be it
 
7     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
8 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Illinois Senate
9 respectfully urges the honorable United States District Court
10 for the Southern District of Illinois to expedite a hearing on
11 the merits of the complaint in the matter of Case No.
12 05-cv-0495; and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14 presented to the Honorable G. Patrick Murphy, Chief Judge of
15 the United States District Court for the Southern District of
16 Illinois.