Last week the owners of a coal mine in Industry were found to be in serious violation of their pollution permits. The same company is trying to open a new mine in Canton and groups are urging the state to stop it from being built.
The Illinois Pollution Control Board found earlier this month that Springfield Coal violated its pollution discharge permit over 600 times. Now the company is trying to open a new mine north of Canton.
To do so, it needs a another pollution discharge permit from the Illinois EPA . Its mining permit is also under review by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
The Prairie Rivers Network and Canton Citizens for Environmental Issues are urging the state to deny the permits.
Bryan Perbix, a grassroots organizer for the Prairie Rivers Network, said Springfield coal has shown that it won’t follow the rules in the permits.
“We still haven’t seen notable improvement in practices on site. The mine has still not come into compliance with their water pollution permit and it is our fear that would be what this community in Canton would be facing,” Perbix said.
The Canton Mine would be approximately a mile from Canton Lake which provides drinking water to half of Fulton County. The mine is also applying for authorization from the Illinois EPA to alter the land around the mine which would affect the flow of streams into the lake.
Springfield coal is also trying to build a new mine in Littleton.
