Thousands of Illinois Residents Calling for Illinois Pollution Control Board to Deny Dynegy’s Request for More Time to Meet Clean Air Standards

WHAT: On Monday, Peoria area residents will gather in downtown Peoria to announce the planned delivery of 8,000 petitions that the group will bring to an Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) hearing the following day. The petitions call on IPCB to deny Texas-based energy company Dynegy’s variance request for more time to meet Illinois state clean air standards. A bus-full of Peoria area residents will travel to Springfield at 7am on Tuesday to deliver the petitions in person.

Dynegy has a pending purchase of five Ameren Illinois coal-fired power plants, including the E.D. Edwards coal plant in Bartonville. The company will pay no cash for the sale, instead taking on $825 million of Ameren’s debt.

Dynegy, which is building an unfunded shell company to operate the coal plants locally, is claiming to IPCB that the company is in financial hardship and needs more time to comply with the state’s landmark Multi-Pollutant Standard law established in 2006.

The Central Illinois Healthy Community Alliance will be joined by residents from across the state of Illinois to deliver the thousands of petitions in person at the IPCB hearing on Dynegy’s variance request on Tuesday.

WHO:
Robin Garlish, Central Illinois Healthy Community Alliance
Dr. John McLean, Retired Peoria Neurologist
Kady McFadden, Sierra Club
Lisa Offutt, Peoria Families Against Toxic Waste

WHERE:
Outside the Peoria Civic Center, Corner of Fulton and Madison St in front of Sonar Tide statue

WHEN: Monday, September 16, 2013, 10:30 AM