Public Health, Environmental Experts Join Grassroots Advocates Testify Against Rauner/IEPA Backdoor Bailout of Dynegy Coal Plants

PEORIA, IL. -- Wednesday morning, advocates from across Illinois gathered in Peoria to speak to press before testifying to the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) in opposition to proposed changes in rules protecting the public against dangerous air pollution. Proposed changes would allow Dynegy to keep cheap, dirty plants open while closing cleaner ones, nullifying Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) claim that the move is to “keep plants open” and save jobs. Surrounded by some of the state’s dirtiest coal plants, Peoria and the surrounding area would likely be hit hardest by increased pollution.

Rev. Tony Pierce, Board President, Illinois People’s Action said, “It is the mission of the Illinois Pollution Control board to establish standards that will “restore, protect and enhance the environment.” I will be testifying at the MPS hearing later today because that’s what we need and want too- standards that will restore, protect and enhance the environment of my community.  The proposed Dynegy rules will not do that.  In fact, they could double the pollution in my community.  Dynegy’s own analysis shows the rule change will allow them to close some plants and ramp up production at their dirty plants—like the Edwards plant—creating environmental hot spots.  This is not acceptable.”

This is the third time Dynegy is seeking revisions to the Multi Pollutant Standard. The latest proposed changes come after eight months of backdoor talks between Dynegy and Gov. Rauner’s IEPA, whose Director came under fire in the Chicago Tribune this week for his close ties to the company highlighted by a lawsuit about Illinois’ failure to ensure conflict of interest safeguards are in place. Wednesday’s hearing is the first time the public will have the opportunity to weigh in on the proposal in front of the IPCB.

"Last week, the Sierra Club, along with partners, filed a lawsuit to close conflict of interest loopholes in this sort of pollution oversight. These are the agencies tasked with keeping us safe, but instead they seem to be working for the very companies they are supposed to protect us from. This proposal is a needless bailout for Dynegy, a company that just sold for 20 billion dollars. We’re testifying today because the Illinois Pollution Control Board should do its job and deny this disastrous proposal.” said Joe Laszlo, Former Chair, Sierra Club Heart of Illinois.

“By allowing a multi-billion dollar corporation’s coal power plants to dump nearly double the amount of deadly air pollution on Illinois communities that they do now, Governor Rauner will be responsible for many more adults and children getting sick and dying,” said Brian Urbaszewski, Director of Environmental Health Programs for Respiratory Health Association. “Rolling back long standing health protections that strictly limit this dangerous pollution and prioritizing corporate profits above the health and lives of Illinois residents is simply cruel.”

"The facts are clear. This is a bailout for an out-of-state coal company that Illinois families will pay for through rising electric bills and poorer lung health. It should be rejected," said Lindsay Dubin, Staff Attorney, Environmental Law and Policy Center.

Jade Allen, President, Student Association For the Environment said, “An Illinois EPA working for citizens might have used new rulemaking as a tool to guide these aging coal plants to retirement in concert with a complete site cleanup and a supportive transition for the workers and the community. Instead, they chose to work behind closed doors and rubberstamp what Dynegy wanted. The Illinois Pollution Control Board has a chance to stop this and stop communities like Peoria from becoming pollution hot spots.”