Illinois Coal

Deer Run Coal Mine uses coal mining practices such as longwall mining that destroy fertile farmland, as well as coal ash and coal slurry disposal methods that threaten the health of the communities, lands and waters.

The Crown #3 coal mine in Farmersville IL was given by permission by Illinois regulators to inject coal slurry into the ground, despite the protests of citizens. Coal slurry is a byproduct of washing coal, and contains arsenic, heavy metals, and other pollutants. The danger is serious enough that the practice of injecting coal slurry into the ground has been curtailed in West Virginia, where more than 100 lawsuits are pending by residents who blame coal companies for poisoning wells.

There used to be hundreds of head of cattle on this ranch. It was abandoned when the land and water became too polluted by the unlined coal slurry pond from the Shay 1 mine(large black dike in the background}. Coal slurry is a byproduct of washing coal, and contains arsenic, heavy metals, and other pollutants.

This is the main house from the abandoned ranch that had to quit because the water and land became too polluted due to the leaching of the unlined toxic coal slurry impoundment you can see in the background.

Longwall mining is a highly destructive practice that goes against the ethic of land stewardship American agricultural communities are founded upon. Coal companies that practice longwall mining are not required to prevent damage – they are only required to compensate citizens whose property they have damaged or destroyed. Rural residents often choose to sell their homes and farms rather than stay and face the consequences of the longwall machine, leading to the depopulation of rural areas above the longwall mines.

Longwall mining is a high extraction technique where coal is removed in 1,400 ft. panels that stretch for miles. As the longwall machine advances, the roof behind them collapses, causing the land above to drop by 4-8 ft. The reality is that longwall subsidence is a serious seismic event – like an earthquake – that causes major damage and loss of farm-able land.

A by-product of subsidence. Because of the sinking of the land due to longwall mining it no longer drains properly. These large drainage ditches must be dug further reducing farm-able land. These ditches also break up once large flat areas into smaller sections making them more difficult and labor intensive to cultivate.

Conveyor line to the Viper Coal Mine in Elkhart IL. This conveyor system is being built to transport coal from a portal in the next county south of the mine to save on taxes. This system ends up screwing the citizens of Eklhart out of $60,000 a year, 1/3 of their yearly budget! In Williamsburg where the portal is they "... gave up sales tax revenue in the short run in expectations of both increased sales and property tax revenue, as well as jobs, in the long term." Don't hold your breath Williamsburg!

Coal slurry is the contaminated process water that is leftover from the coal washing process. It contains elevated levels of chlorides, sulfates, arsenic, lead, mercury, and selenium. Really instead of "pond" toxic lake would be a better term. The black mountains are coal ash, the solid byproduct leftover after coal is burned to generate electricity. Coal ash contains elevated levels of arsenic, mercury, selenium, chromium and cadmium. Here at Crown III they take-in ash from 37 different sources, both in-state and out-of-state, and dump it in this unlined, above-ground impoundment.

Another look into a slurry pond. According to Jeff Goodell's book "Big Coal" ...each year coal plants produce over 130 million tons of solid waste - 3x as much as all the municipal garbage in the US combined. This waste is a combination of ash and scrubber sludge and is dumped into these unlined slurry ponds with the waste from the coal wash. This toxic mixture can then leach into aquifers and water supplies.

This is a non-working air shaft for the Shay 1 mine near Carlinville IL. The coal company has applied for permits to keep this shaft although mining operations are miles from it. Conclusion: This shaft will be used as a portal for coal slurry injections. The slurry, containing chemicals used in the prep plant, plus heavy metals naturally present in coal, such as arsenic, mercury, chromium, cadmium, boron, selenium, and nickel will be pumped into the old mine where it is likely to leach through cracks in the walls and eventually pollute local aquifers.

Not sure of the story on this pond or what it may have been used for but it is directly across the road from the closed Crown 2 coal mine near Farmersville IL. I think it was a holding pond for coal ready to be trucked out. Looks like a future Super-fund site though.

Dried coal slurry and coal ash blowing off an impoundment in Elkhart IL. This cloud of dust can contain a mixture of Mercury, Chromium, Selenium, Lead, Arsenic and Boron. All hazardous metals to our health. The scariest part is it's blowing across corn and soybean fields and also nearby cattle grazing pastures!

This is the storage units of the Shay 1 coal mine. When the silos are filled the excess is transported and stored to the open area on the right. It drops through the cylinder and pours out the cutouts. If you look close you can see the dust generated as it comes down and out. This dust known as fugitive dust and contains all the heavy metals and toxic chemicals used in the washing process. It is now free to blow across the nearby corn and soybean fields. This fugitive dust is also widely spread by loading it on uncovered trucks and trains!

This wind turbine was erected on the site of an old 60 ft high coal slurry pond. It was dedicated in 2009 by Gov. Quinn with the words "... a site that once produced coal has been turned into a one-of-a-kind green initiative." Whoops, that stuff leaching out from the bottom doesn't look too green to me!

The house is just across the road of the unlined coal slurry pond from the Shay 1 mine near Carlinville IL. It was abandoned when the land and water became too polluted. Coal slurry is a byproduct of washing coal, and contains arsenic, heavy metals, and other pollutants.

According to a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, they found these stats attributable to fine particle pollution from Coffeen Power Station: Deaths - 28, Heart Attacks - 43, Chronic bronchitis - 17, & Asthma attacks - 480. These are annual statistics!

According to a 2010 report commissioned by the American Lung Association over 440 coal-fired power plants in the US release 386,000 tons(yes tons!) of hazardous air pollutants annually. These are emitted as fine particulate matter and contain heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, radium, selenium and more. It's estimated to account for an average of $3.7 billion(yes billion!) of public health damages every year.

According to a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, they found these stats attributable to fine particle pollution from the Will County Power Station in Romeoville IL: Deaths - 46, Heart Attacks - 72, Chronic bronchitis - 28, & Asthma attacks - 780. These are annual statistics!

Will County coal-fired powerplant in Romeoville IL. Even the dog knows there's something evil about this place.

Midwest Generation's Joliet coal burning power plant. This plant is responsible for 60 deaths, 93 heart attacks, and over 1000 asthma attacks a year.

This power plant is located in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood. It is estimated that it is responsible for 27 deaths, 43 heart attacks, 17 cases of chronic bronchitis and 29 asthma ER visits a year. BUT not after 2014! This pollution breathing dragon has been slayed and will be put to sleep!

The Dynegy Midwest Generation coal-fired power plant in Havana IL. In 2010 a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, determined that 36 deaths, 57 heart attacks, 620 asthma attacks and 23 cases of chronic bronchitis per year are attributed to pollution from this plant. Also that lake in the foreground is a coal ash waste impoundment. In 2009 Institute of Southern Studies compiled a list of the 100 most polluting coal plants in the United States in terms of coal combustion waste stored in surface impoundments. This one ranked #76. The worst thing is that this sits above the town of Havana and if it should burst would end up flooding the town with toxic waste!

This is the Edison International/Midwest Generation coal-fired power plant in Waukegan IL. In 2010 a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, determined that 34 deaths, 54 heart attacks, 570 asthma attacks and 21 cases of chronic bronchitis per year are attributed to pollution from this plant.