Champaign County Environment and Land Use Committee to Vote on Resolution to Protect Salt Fork from Coal Mine

Posted on May 8, 2013 by sutc

Please join us for the ELUC meeting at 6:00 pm Thursday May 9th, 2013 in the Lyle Shields Meeting Room, Brookens Administrative Center, Urbana

At its upcoming meeting the Environment and Land Use Committee (ELUC) of the Champaign County Board will consider a resolution opposing water withdrawals from the Salt Fork River for washing coal at Hallador Energy and Sunrise Coal’s proposed Bulldog mine southeast of Homer.

In April, the News-Gazette reported that Sunrise Coal has approached the Urbana Champaign Sanitary District (UCSD) with a request to guarantee that their Urbana sewage treatment plant will discharge between 325,000 to 540,000 gallons per day that the mine would withdraw from the Salt Fork River to wash coal at their proposed coal mine.

Clean sewage treatment plant effluent from UCSD helps protect the health of the Salt Fork River, particularly during low flow times of the year. After months of deliberation, the Homer Village Board came to a unanimous decision against selling raw water to Sunrise coal, determining that the area’s water resources should not be used to wash coal. Area residents and farmers are concerned that Sunrise’s underground coal mine and surface coal washing and waste disposal will deplete water resources, pollute the Salt Fork River, and damage farmland.

The County Board has a crucial opportunity protect Champaign County’s clean water and healthy farmland, by voting yes on the resolution opposing water sales to to the proposed coal mine.

TAKE ACTION: Let Your County Board members know you support protecting the Salt Fork River and farmland from coal mine – ask them to vote yes on the resolution!

Environment and Land Use Committee:

 

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UCSD Public Meeting: Proposed Water Sale to Fertilizer Plant & Coal Mine

Posted on April 30, 2013 by sutc

PLEASE JOIN US AT THE PUBLIC MEETING ON MAY 8TH AT 6:30 PM AT THE UCSD URBANA PLANT, 1100 E. UNIVERSITY AVE.

The Urbana Champaign Sanitary District (UCSD) is considering selling large amounts of water from its Urbana and Savoy sewage treatment plants to Cronus Chemical, a company proposing a $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Tuscola, IL. UCSD is also exploring a water sale to Hallador Energy’s Sunrise Coal, the company that is trying to develop a new coal mine near Homer, IL.

UCSD’s water discharges, commonly referred to as “effluent,” now flow from the Urbana sewage treatment plant to the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River, and from the Savoy plant to Copper Slough and eventually, the Kaskaskia River.  The water sales would change the flows in these streams significantly.

Much is at stake in this contemplated water sale including the health of our streams, the sustainability of our community water supply, and the health of our local economies.  We do not believe the UCSD Board has considered the full ramifications of these sales. The District should not be rushing into contracts that promise our water to outside, water-intensive industries.  The District is holding a public meeting on May 8th at the Urbana treatment plant. Please join us for a full, open and informed discussion.

This article is reprinted from Prairie Rivers Network with permission.

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Homer Votes “No” To Raw Water Sale

Posted on April 20, 2013 by sutc
By now you’ve probably heard the good news. At its April meeting, the Homer Village Board voted unanimously 5-0 to decline to sell raw water to Sunrise Coal and Hallador Energy for use in washing coal at their proposed mine.  (Read the News-Gazette article).

This is a huge victory for the Salt Fork River, and is a significant step towards protecting clean water and our healthy farming communities by keeping Sunrise’s coal mine out. If you haven’t already, please take the opportunity to thank the Homer Village Trustees for their support.

However, our work is not done yet. Sunrise Coal is still looking for the water it needs to open a coal mine. And recently, Sunrise Coal posted a new petition on their website, trying to scrounge up local support for their proposed mine.  It looks like we got their attention! Will we let Sunrise’s astro-turfing beat our grassroots movement? Help us say NO WAY loud and clear by signing our petition against the mine if you haven’t already, and sharing it on your wall if you support Stand Up To Coal.
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Homer to Reconsider Raw Water Sale to Mine Tonight 4/8/2013

Posted on April 8, 2013 by sutc

We received word on Friday that the agenda for tonight’s Homer Village Board Meeting includes reviewing Sunrise Coal’s request to supply raw water for washing coal at the proposed mine.

After nearly a year of public debate, a majority of Homer Village Trustees have made clear that they are opposed to selling water to wash coal. And yet, once again it appears that the Salt Fork is back on the auction block. Tonight, Homer board members need to hear from people who support preserving our precious water resources from coal mining!

Help us tell Sunrise Coal and Hallador Energy that the Salt Fork is not for sale. Please attend the Homer Village Board meeting, tonight, Monday April 8th, 2013 at 7:00 pm, located at 500 E Second St. in Homer.

Thank you for your support.

ACT NOW: Please contact your Village Board members today and ask them to say no to selling any more water to Sunrise Coal.

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The Vermilion River: Embracing the Future

Posted on March 27, 2013 by sutc

Thursday, March 28, 2013 7-9pm @Kickapoo Landing

We’ll have a series of talks bring together PRN, IDNR and INHS staff to talk about some of the big picture challenges and opportunities facing the Vermilion River system, including the coal mine. Please help spread the word (see flyer below)

Topics Include:

  • Vermilion River at a Crossroads
    • Sue Smith, Salt Fork River Partners
  • Fish Diversity in the Vermilion River
    • Trent Thomas, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
  • Native Mussel Re-introduction
    • Jeremy Tiemann, Illinois Natural History Survey
  • Danville Dam Removal on the North Fork
    • Elliot Brinkman, Prairie Rivers Network
  • Coal Ash Clean-up on the Middle Fork
    • Traci Barkley, Prairie Rivers Network
  • Return of Coal Mining on the Salt Fork?
    • Brian Perbix, Prairie Rivers Network

Facebook event listing is here, please invite your friends: http://www.facebook.com/events/355571144547262/?ref=22

PRN March 28 Flyer

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