FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Contact: Elizabeth Scrafford, elizabeth.scrafford@sierraclub.org, 208-818-4626
SPRINGFIELD, IL -- As legislative leaders continue to negotiate a comprehensive climate bill that aims to move Illinois to 100% clean energy--after months of impasse over the fate of municipal coal plants--an incident at Springfield’s municipal coal plant this afternoon resulted in a cloud of reported coal ash dust to be released into the air. Images of the dangerous dust cloud at the CWLP coal plant are linked here, courtesy of Elizabeth Scrafford.
Coal ash is considered as an environmental hazard worldwide, since it can contain toxic metals and dangerous constituents like lead, mercury, arsenic, selenium, boron, vanadium, and chromium and the radionuclide's uranium and thorium.
In response, Sierra Club Organizing Manager Elizabeth Scrafford released the following statement:
“As a resident of Springfield who lives a few miles from the Dallman coal plant, this incident today is just another reminder of why we need to move beyond coal as soon as possible. As legislative leaders actively negotiate the fate of these coal plants, those of us living near them are reminded every day that there is no safe way to burn coal.”