State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_SR0331

 
                                               LRB9113643KBkb

 1                          SENATE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
 3    is required to submit a report to the U.S. Congress under the
 4    Bevill Amendment of  1980,  otherwise  known  as  the  Bevill
 5    Regulatory  Determination  for Fossil Fuel Combustion Wastes;
 6    and

 7        WHEREAS, The Bevill Regulatory Determination requires the
 8    USEPA to "conduct a  detailed  and  comprehensive  study  and
 9    submit  a  report  on the adverse affects on human health and
10    environment, if any, of the disposal and utilization  of  fly
11    ash  waste,  bottom  ash waste, slag waste, flue gas emission
12    control  waste,  and  other  by-product  materials  generated
13    primarily from the combustion of coal or other fossil fuels";
14    and

15        WHEREAS, The USEPA has studied this issue since 1981  and
16    in 1993 decided that these coal combustion wastes do not pose
17    a  threat  to  human health and the environment under current
18    disposal practices; and

19        WHEREAS, The new USEPA report may recommend that coal ash
20    be classified as a hazardous waste; and

21        WHEREAS,  Illinois  is  a  coal  producing  state  and  a
22    determination that  coal  ash  is  a  hazardous  waste  would
23    inhibit the sales of Illinois coal; and

24        WHEREAS, Coal is used in a number of industrial processes
25    by  major  employers and is a vital component of the Illinois
26    industrial fuel mix; and

27        WHEREAS, Coal ash can be  a  useful  by-product  of  coal
28    combustion  and  can  be incorporated in a number of products
29    such as gypsum board, roof  shingles,  abrasives,  and  fluid
30    fill  material  and classifying coal ash as a hazardous waste
31    would seriously damage recycling  efforts  and  the  business
 
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 1    economy associated with these products; and

 2        WHEREAS, Illinois derives nearly half of its energy needs
 3    from  coal-fired  power  plants  and  further hindering their
 4    operations could compromise the reliability of  the  electric
 5    system; and

 6        WHEREAS,  Illinois'  coal-fired power plants would be put
 7    at a competitive disadvantage  if  the  Bevill  Determination
 8    were  to  recommend  that  coal ash be classified a hazardous
 9    waste; therefore, be it

10        RESOLVED, BY  THE  SENATE  OF  THE  NINETY-FIRST  GENERAL
11    ASSEMBLY  OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the USEPA to
12    refrain from classifying coal ash as a hazardous  waste;  and
13    be it further

14        RESOLVED,  That  suitable  copies  of  this resolution be
15    delivered to Vice President Al  Gore,  USEPA  Director  Carol
16    Browner,  and  every  member  of  the  Illinois congressional
17    delegation.

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