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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.