Bill Text: IL HJR0047 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates the Illinois Coal Ash Task Force to bring legislators, coal company representatives, environmental experts, and the public to together to study the effects of coal ash on the Vermilion River and the rest of the State.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-07-02 - Rule 19(b) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HJR0047 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2019-HJR0047-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The Middle Fork River merges with the Salt Fork | ||||||
3 | River to form the Vermilion River, which flows through | ||||||
4 | Danville, a city of 32,000; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Danville is currently redeveloping its riverfront | ||||||
6 | and intends to link this revitalized open space to the city's | ||||||
7 | adjacent downtown as a way of attracting tourists and boosting | ||||||
8 | their local economy; and
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9 | WHEREAS, In 2011, Dynegy closed the Vermilion Power | ||||||
10 | Station, a former coal-fired power plant on the only private | ||||||
11 | inholding along 17 miles of wild and scenic river; and
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12 | WHEREAS, The closed coal plant sits on the bluff above the | ||||||
13 | Middle Fork of the Vermilion River; the 3.3 million cubic yards | ||||||
14 | of coal ash produced over its 55-year operating life currently | ||||||
15 | rest in three coal ash pits on the site; and
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16 | WHEREAS, Coal ash contaminants can include arsenic, | ||||||
17 | barium, boron, chromium, iron, lead, manganese, molybdenum, | ||||||
18 | nickel, and sulfate, which are known to cause birth defects, | ||||||
19 | cancer, and neurological damage in humans and can harm and kill | ||||||
20 | wildlife, especially fish; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Coal plants across the State of Illinois are going | ||||||
2 | to need a set of rules and guidelines to help alleviate | ||||||
3 | environmental damage and encourage safe and responsible | ||||||
4 | storage of the coal ash remnants from plant operations; and
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5 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois needs to create laws and | ||||||
6 | policies that encourage a safe and environmentally appropriate | ||||||
7 | process to deal with the coal ash remnants across the State; | ||||||
8 | therefore, be it
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9 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
10 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | ||||||
11 | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Illinois | ||||||
12 | Coal Ash Task Force to bring legislators, coal company | ||||||
13 | representatives, environmental experts, and the public | ||||||
14 | together to study the effects of coal ash on the Vermilion | ||||||
15 | River and the rest of the State; and be it further
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16 | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall be comprised of the | ||||||
17 | following eight members, who shall serve without compensation: | ||||||
18 | (1) One State Representative appointed by the Speaker | ||||||
19 | of the House, who shall serve as chair; | ||||||
20 | (2) One State Representative appointed by the House | ||||||
21 | Minority Leader; | ||||||
22 | (3) One State Senator appointed by the Senate | ||||||
23 | President; |
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1 | (4) One State Senator appointed by the Senate Minority | ||||||
2 | Leader; | ||||||
3 | (5) The Director of the Illinois Environmental | ||||||
4 | Protection Agency or his or her designee; | ||||||
5 | (6) The Executive Director of the Prairie Research | ||||||
6 | Institute or his or her designee; | ||||||
7 | (7) One member from an organization whose purpose is | ||||||
8 | the protection of the environment and natural resources, | ||||||
9 | with a focus on the health and restoration of bodies of | ||||||
10 | water, appointed by the Governor; and | ||||||
11 | (8) One member from the business community, appointed | ||||||
12 | by the Governor; and
be it further
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13 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Environmental Protection | ||||||
14 | Agency shall provide administrative support; and be it further
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15 | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall meet no fewer than | ||||||
16 | three times; and be it further
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17 | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall submit its final report | ||||||
18 | to the General Assembly within one year of its formation, but | ||||||
19 | no later than December 31, 2020, and upon the filing of its | ||||||
20 | report, is dissolved.
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