HJ0047 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0047 LRB101 11657 MST 57939 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Middle Fork River merges with the Salt Fork River to form the Vermilion River, which flows through Danville, a city of 32,000; and

WHEREAS, Danville is currently redeveloping its riverfront and intends to link this revitalized open space to the city's adjacent downtown as a way of attracting tourists and boosting their local economy; and

WHEREAS, In 2011, Dynegy closed the Vermilion Power Station, a former coal-fired power plant on the only private inholding along 17 miles of wild and scenic river; and

WHEREAS, The closed coal plant sits on the bluff above the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River; the 3.3 million cubic yards of coal ash produced over its 55-year operating life currently rest in three coal ash pits on the site; and

WHEREAS, Coal ash contaminants can include arsenic, barium, boron, chromium, iron, lead, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, and sulfate, which are known to cause birth defects, cancer, and neurological damage in humans and can harm and kill wildlife, especially fish; and

WHEREAS, Coal plants across the State of Illinois are going to need a set of rules and guidelines to help alleviate environmental damage and encourage safe and responsible storage of the coal ash remnants from plant operations; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois needs to create laws and policies that encourage a safe and environmentally appropriate process to deal with the coal ash remnants across the State; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Illinois Coal Ash Task Force to bring legislators, coal company representatives, environmental experts, and the public together to study the effects of coal ash on the Vermilion River and the rest of the State; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall be comprised of the following eight members, who shall serve without compensation:

(1) One State Representative appointed by the Speaker of the House, who shall serve as chair;

(2) One State Representative appointed by the House Minority Leader;

(3) One State Senator appointed by the Senate President;

(4) One State Senator appointed by the Senate Minority Leader;

(5) The Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency or his or her designee;

(6) The Executive Director of the Prairie Research Institute or his or her designee;

(7) One member from an organization whose purpose is the protection of the environment and natural resources, with a focus on the health and restoration of bodies of water, appointed by the Governor; and

(8) One member from the business community, appointed by the Governor; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency shall provide administrative support; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall meet no fewer than three times; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall submit its final report to the General Assembly within one year of its formation, but no later than December 31, 2020, and upon the filing of its report, is dissolved.