A state panel has ordered a power company to remove toxic coal ash ponds along the lakefront in Waukegan following a years-long battle, which officials called a “major win.”
The Illinois Pollution Control Board issued an order last week denying an adjusted standard petition by Midwest Generation, a subsidiary of NRG Energy.
Midwest Generation owns power-generating stations in Illinois, including one at 401 East Greenwood Avenue in Waukegan along Lake Michigan.
The station’s coal-fired units were retired in May 2022.
The company cited low market prices and its transition away from coal as the reason for the closure.
Midwest Generation had sought in its petition, which was denied by the pollution control board, to leave toxic coal ash ponds in place at its former Waukegan site.
The moment marks a win for local and state officials, along with residents and not-for-profit organizations, who have been involved in a nearly four-year administrative process and a decade of advocacy on the issue.
Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor said the decision is a “major win for Waukegan” as the community has spent over 10 years pushing for the removal of the unlined and leaking coal ash along Lake Michigan.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) reported that the sites are contaminating groundwater with dangerous toxins.
According to the Prairie Rivers Network, the Waukegan power station burned coal for decades before the plant closed and coal ash, which is a byproduct of burning coal that contains toxic substances, is stored in three coal ash ponds on the site.
Illinois in 2019 passed the Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act, setting strict rules for cleaning up coal ash ponds.
“While NRG closed its coal plant in 2022, they’ve tried to avoid fully removing the coal ash ponds by seeking an ‘adjusted standard’ since 2021. This would have let them simply abandon the most at-risk unlined coal ash pond in place, despite the site’s history of violations and public safety risks,” Taylor said.
Waukegan officials are meeting with IEPA officials soon to discuss the next steps.
The city said it will continue to push forward with legislators and community partners to ensure proper cleanup of the site to protect the long-term health of residents and of the lakefront.
“For too long, toxic coal ash has posed dangerous environmental and health risks to our community. Today’s announcement is a major victory for everyone in our community who simply wants to protect our lakefront and live in a clean, healthy community. Our hope is that this will increase the health and wellbeing of our residents, but also our environment,” Illinois 60th District State Representative Rita Mayfield said.
Illinois 30th District State Senator Adriane Johnson called the decision a “major step forward” in protecting Waukegan’s lakefront and ensuring environmental justice for the community.
“For too long, toxic coal ash has threatened the health and safety of residents, and it’s clear that full removal is the only acceptable path forward. Now, we must pass legislation to ensure coal ash is properly removed from the Waukegan site, holding polluters accountable and safeguarding our water, air, and public health for generations to come,” Johnson said.
Clean Power Lake County Co-Chair Celeste Flores said the non-profit organization has organized for over a decade to hold Midwest Generation and NRG Energy accountable for a just transition of the coal-fired plant.
“Community members have been at the forefront of our efforts to address legacy pollution and transition toward a cleaner, more sustainable lakefront. CPLC will continue working with community members, environmental groups, elected officials, and agencies to ensure full compliance by Midwest Generation/NRG Energy and a just transition for community members impacted by Midwest Generation/NRG Energy’s legacy of industrial pollution,” Flores said.