Congressmen ask U.S. EPA to not regulate coal by-products
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[According to a prepared release, six members of the Illinois congressional delegation today joined U.S. Congressmen Jerry Costello (D-IL) and John Shimkus (R-IL) in sending a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag, urging the OMB to consider the regional economic impact of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed regulation of coal combustion by-products.
As noted in the delegation's letter, coal-fired power plants provide roughly half of the electricity used by Illinois consumers, including households, businesses, industry, hospitals and schools.
The state's power producers use up to 60 percent of the CCBs made by these plants to create critical building materials, such as cement and concrete, for housing and infrastructure in Illinois.
The reuse of CCBs has resulted in the creation of thousands of jobs across the state, which is currently facing an unemployment rate of 11.1 percent - above the national average.
The letter continues: "…regulating CCBs as hazardous waste will impose steep costs on Illinois energy consumers while producing little environmental benefit beyond what can be achieved through non-hazardous waste authority. Hazardous waste regulation will require significant engineering changes, capital expenditures, and operating costs. These costs will be passed to consumers, increasing utility bills in a difficult economic climate. Finally, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has found that Illinois' current approach to regulating CCBs as non-hazardous waste is effective and safe."
The letter urges the OMB to consider regulations that allow for the continued use of CCBs, keeping energy costs low and protecting the strength of Illinois' economy.