MEDIA ADVISORY AND DAYBOOK ITEM FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15 AND THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16
Contact: Hannah Flath, hannahlee.flath@sierraclub.org, 860-634-0225
WAUKEGAN, IL -- On December 15 and 16, Waukegan residents will have the opportunity to ask NRG Energy about their plans to close Waukegan Generating Station’s East and West Ash Ponds. NRG is holding two public meetings to review their plan to close the East Ash Pond by “capping” the coal ash in place and the West Ash Pond by removing the remaining ash and repurposing the pond to treat non-coal ash wastewater. Clean Power Lake County, Sierra Club Illinois, Prairie Rivers Network, the Environmental Law & Policy Center, and Earthjustice have serious environmental and public health concerns about this proposal, as well as concerns regarding the inaccessibility and confusion surrounding NRG’s closure plan.
Waukegan residents have spent decades fighting industrial pollution from coal plants like the Waukegan Generating Station, and local residents and environmental organizations want the coal ash in the East and West Ash Ponds, as well as the ash in the huge landfill onsite, to be removed. These public meetings, which are a direct result of the implementation of Illinois’ new coal ash rules, fall after NRG’s announcement earlier this year that it will close the Waukegan Generation Station in June 2022. Local residents say the removal plan is an important part of the coal plant’s remediation process amid its pending closure.
In addition, local residents and environmental organizations are concerned about the lack of clear communication surrounding the coal ash pond closure plan. Documentation about the plan, including modeling and analyses, have been unclear and misleading. These public meetings should serve as an opportunity for community members to engage with the owners of coal ash impoundments. However, the lack of clear communication with community members regarding the closure plan raises concerns about the accessibility of community participation.
WHAT: An opportunity for the public to ask NRG Energy questions about its plan for Waukegan’s West and East Ash Ponds.
WHEN: Two options: Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 6:00pm and Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 10:00am
WHERE: Virtual meeting only. Participants can join by phone at 312-626-6799 or at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82354152005. Meeting ID: 823 5415 2005.
AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW:
Dulce Ortiz, Clean Power Lake County
Kiana Courtney, Environmental Law & Policy Center
Faith Bugel, attorney representing Sierra Club Illinois
Andrew Rehn, Prairie Rivers Network