FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 1, 2021
Contact: Hannah Lee Flath, hannahlee.flath@sierraclub.org, 860-634-0225
FRANKLIN COUNTY, IL -- Today, the Chicago Tribune reported that operators at the Sugar Camp Mine west of Macedonia dumped 46,000 gallons of PFAS-laden foam deep into the underground mine in an unsuccessful attempt to extinguish a fire that has been burning underground for the past month. This development comes after company officials with Foresight Energy, which owns the Sugar Camp Mine, also instructed contractors to drill boreholes into the mine without a permit last month. At least one of the boreholes is close to a creek where the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has recently detected high levels of PFAS. These incidents raise concern about drinking water contamination and pose a threat to the health and safety of local residents.
PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are known as “forever chemicals” because they remain in the environment indefinitely. PFAS chemicals could seep from the mine site into groundwater and, when ingested, can lead to serious health problems including cancer, organ, and immune system damage.
This is hardly the first time Sugar Camp Mine has violated regulations and jeopardized the health and safety of coal miners and the local community. Sugar Camp Mine utilizes the longwall mining method, which puts miners at risk and subsides agricultural land and buildings. Since the mine opened in 2012, residents living and working around the periphery of Sugar Camp have had to endure daily health hazards from coal dust, long-term contaminated air and water, and the loss of precious farmland. Residents say Foresight Energy, which owns and operates four mines in Illinois, operates at the expense of the people and environment in Illinois.
In response, Sierra Club Director Jack Darin released the following statement:
“The use of firefighting foam containing toxic PFAS chemicals at Sugar Camp Mine further endangers the local community. The mine owners must take action to protect drinking water and the environment from the thousands of gallons of this potent toxin already dumped underground.
“This alarming threat to drinking water is the latest reminder of the many costs we are paying for our reliance on fossil fuels. Now, with the recent passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, Illinois is moving beyond coal, and we can help communities finally transition to a safer future. That has to start with holding coal companies accountable for their actions.”