UnEarthed - The Earthjustice Blog:

What's it like to live in the shadow of a smokestack?

Bad news today from the State of IL.

While coal plants across the country are shutting down and making room for smart investments in clean, renewable energy, the IL State Senate just approved a $286 million/year bailout for a new coal plant in Taylorville, IL. That's $286 million/year for the next 30 years, coming from the pockets of people like you and me, to bailout a $3.5 billion coal plant boondoggle that couldn't survive on it's own merits. We get higher electricity bills and more pollution, while the energy company Tenaska gets guaranteed profits.

Comjourn has a depressing but handy illustration simplifying the process of burning coal for fuel as demonstrated at Fisk Plant near Chicago:

Congrats Fisk Generating Station, you made the cut. That is, the EPA's new list of the 21 areas with lead pollution levels above EPA designated limits.

Sulfur dioxide plumes from Chicago’s Fisk and Crawford coal plants loom over neighborhoods, put children’s health at risk

Chicago residents are at risk of high exposure to dangerous sulfur dioxide, according to new air pollution modeling released by the Sierra Club on October 31. Sulfur dioxide, emitted by Chicago’s two coal plants, is linked to asthma attacks, severe respiratory problems, lung disease, neurological damage, and heart complications.

To draw attention to Chicago's two coal-fired power plants, health experts and community organizations in the Pilsen neighborhood rallied around a 20-foot inflatable asthma inhaler last week at the Pilsen Elementary Community Academy. A Moble C.A.R.E. van offered children in attendance free asthma screenings while experts highlighted the dangers of pollution from Midwest Generation's Fisk & Crawford power plants in the Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods.

The Clean Power Coalition has a current goal of giving Midwest Generation (the company who owns Fisk and Crawford in Chicago) and Edison International (Midwest Gen’s parent company) 40 calls a day. The purpose of this is to continue pressuring them to close Fisk and Crawford coal plants down for good. We are so close to a victory and students have lead the way. Lets do it again by having students make the most calls over the next week! Here are the numbers and some sample scripts:

Edison Intl. (626) 302-2222