HR0821 LRB093 21852 BDD 49818 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has
3 proposed new environmental rules concerning mercury pollution
4 from coal-fired electric plants; and
 
5      WHEREAS, These new rules are detrimental to the nation and
6 the State of Illinois as well; and
 
7     WHEREAS, These new rules mandate that pollution control
8 equipment be installed in 80% of the plants that burn coal from
9 the Eastern regions of the nation, as well as the State of
10 Illinois; the same rules require the same equipment be
11 installed in only 30% of the plants that burn coal from Western
12 states; and
 
13      WHEREAS, As a consequence of these new rules, the federal
14 government will encourage utilities to burn Western coal rather
15 than Illinois coal; and
 
16     WHEREAS, These new rules will trigger a loss of jobs in the
17 Illinois coal industry, where many working families depend upon
18 the industry for their livelihood; and
 
19     WHEREAS, These new rules will promote greater levels of
20 pollution because the sub-bituminous coal mined from the
21 Western regions of the country contains more mercury than the
22 bituminous coal mined from Illinois; and
 
23     WHEREAS, In pursuing the goal to create a healthier
24 environment, the federal government should not favor the more
25 polluted coal from one region of the country over the less
26 polluted coal from another; therefore be it
 
27      RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
28 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we

 

 

HR0821 - 2 - LRB093 21852 BDD 49818 r

1 urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider its
2 proposed rules concerning mercury pollution from coal-fired
3 electric plants and to hold all types of coal to the same
4 emission standards; and be it further
 
5     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
6 delivered to the President of the United States, the Secretary
7 of the Interior, the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental
8 Protection Agency, and each member of the Illinois
9 congressional delegation.