Environmental groups filed a lawsuit against Ameren Energy Resources for alleged air pollution violations at the Edwards coal plant in Bartonville. The Sierra Club, National Resources Defense Council and other groups filed the lawsuit in federal court. They say the plant violated the Clean Air Act more than 1,000 times in the last five years. Kady McFadden is with the Sierra Club. She says the lawsuit is seeking better pollution controls at the plant:
“If it can’t be done, then the plant should be shut down. Either of these is an acceptable option, but what’s not acceptable is to continue to push the costs of operating dirty plants onto the community in the form of sickness. Or to transfer the plant to someone else that they can do the same thing.”
Houston-based power producer Dynegy is buying five Illinois coal power plants from Ameren. That includes the Edwards coal plant in Bartonville. McFadden says the coal facility operated with outdated pollution controls that contribute to significant health problems. Ameren Energy Resources says in a statement that the plant follows environmental regulations. It also says the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has not cited the plant for permit violations.