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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The links between coal production, economic
3growth, prosperity, and energy security are unbreakable; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Coal is the main source of energy throughout the
5world, provides half of the electricity used in the United
6States, and is a considerable amount of the electricity
7generated in the midwest and Illinois; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The Illinois Coal Association reports that of all
9the states, Illinois has the largest reported bituminous coal
10resources with almost 25% of our nation's reserves; coal
11bearing rocks underlie about 65% of Illinois (36,806 out of a
12total of 56,500 square miles), including all or parts of at
13least 86 of the 102 counties in the State; and
 
14    WHEREAS, According to the Illinois State Geological Survey
15(ISGS) there are 100 billion tons of recoverable coal beneath
16the surface of Illinois, enough coal to meet the country's need
17for coal for the next 100 years; there is more energy content
18in the coal in Illinois than in the oil in Saudi Arabia and
19Kuwait combined; and
 
20    WHEREAS, The industry that mines coal is a highly
21mechanized one; at the start of 2008, there were 17 mines

 

 

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1operating in central and southern Illinois; the bulk of these
2mines are operated by leading companies in American coal
3mining; Illinois coal mines produced 32.4 million tons of coal
4in 2007; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Coal mine lands are being restored, as part of the
6reclamation process, to meet ongoing, economic, recreational,
7educational, transportation, and housing needs of local
8communities and the State; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The backlog of permit approvals and the lack of
10transparency in the federal permitting process are
11jeopardizing jobs, economic opportunity, and coal production
12throughout Illinois and the region; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
14ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Illinois General
15Assembly call upon the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S.
16Environmental Protection Agency, the President's Council on
17Environmental Quality, and the Illinois congressional
18delegation and other State government officials to support coal
19production and the jobs, economic growth, and energy security
20provided by coal mining by fixing a regulatory system that is
21frustrating these vital objectives; and be it further
 
22    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be sent

 

 

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1to the head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S.
2Environmental Protection Agency, the President's Council on
3Environmental Quality, and the members of the Illinois
4congressional delegation.