Community leaders on the Southeast Side — angry that they were not asked to weigh in on a coal gasification project touted as a benefit to the neighborhood – have called a meeting to discuss the environmental and economic impacts of the proposed plant.
Environmental and health groups are expected to speak at the event, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the The Zone at Southeast United Methodist Church and Community Center at 11731 S. Avenue O.
“Since there was never a public meeting on this proposed coal gasification plant, we have organized a town hall meeting,” said Judith Lihota, president of the Calumet Ecological Park Association, who is from the area. She added that the first she and other community leaders heard about the project was from the newspaper.
Legislation awaiting the governor’s signature would help clear the way for the plant by requiring the state’s utilities to buy synthetic natural gas from the plant and another plant proposed for Downstate to heat Illinois homes.
The Tribune reported Friday that the coal-to-gas plant, proposed by New York-based Leucadia National Corp., could mean higher utility bills for consumers and more pollution in one of the most polluted areas in the country.
The company has said that the plant eventually will save consumers money and that the expected pollution is minuscule in comparison to other traditional uses for coal.
“It’s not clean energy even though they’re calling it clean energy,” said Peggy Salazar, executive director at the Southeast Environmental Task Force. “They’re still using carbon-based feedstock. They’re still taking water for the lake. They’re still polluting the air.”
Salazar was one of a handful of community leaders who met Tuesday with representatives from Leucadia and State Sen. Donne Trotter and Rep. Marlow H. Colvin, who helped sponsor the bill. She said the meeting left her with more questions than answers.
“We don’t see how it benefits the community having this here. It’s a brownfield, but it’s not being redeveloped in a way that’s greener.”
Salazar said the community is surrounded by coal piles that generate dust. Introducing a plant that uses coal and pet coke to create gas, she said, could add to that problem.
“On a windy day, sitting on my front porch in summer, I can look in my (beverage) cup and see coal dust floating,” she said. “That doesn’t make a community appealing to live in when you’re covered in soot and coal dust.”
Trotter questioned community leaders who said they knew little to nothing about the proposed plant before a bill passed the General Assembly.
“We still have 90 percent of discussions and work to do,” he said. “We voted for the process to begin. We didn’t vote for it to be there tomorrow.”
Trotter said he tried to allay community fears Tuesday — “take the politics out of it and deal with science.”
“Ninety-five percent of any emissions are taken care of,” he said. “You’re not going to see these smokestacks spewing pollutants all over the community. That is not going to be the case. This is proven technology.”
A coal-to-gas plant, he said, would bring needed jobs to the area. The plant is expected to result in 200 full-time jobs and hundreds during construction.
“We have an area that has been totally decimated. The steel mills and the other ancillary businesses in the area left. We’ve been, through the years, trying to find opportunities to replace some of those dollars,” Trotter said.
Leucadia representatives and politicians have not been invited to Thursday’s meeting, which is sponsored by the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago and several local environmental groups, including the Southeast Environmental Task Force, Sierra Club, Calumet Ecological Park Association and Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.
“We heard about this plant — rumblings over the last couple of years,” said Sierra Club representative Becki Clayborn. “But we really didn’t hear details about it until this legislation was introduced around Thanksgiving. We’re concerned about depending on coal for our energy future. We’d really like to see a transition away from coal into cleaner energy options.”
jwernau@tribune.com
ommunity leaders on the SoutheastÖ Side – angry that they were not asked to weigh in on a coal gasification project representatives touted as a benefit to the neighborhood – have called a meeting to discuss the environmental and economic impacts of the proposed plant.
Environmental and health groups are expected to speak at the event, scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the “The Zone” at Southeast United Methodist Church and Community Center at 11731 S. Ave O.
“Since there was never a public meeting on this proposed coal gasification plant, we have organized a Town Hall Meeting,” said Judith Lihota, president of the Calumet Ecological Park Association, who grew up and lives on the Southeast Side, adding that the first she and other community leaders heard about the project was from the newspaper.
Legislation awaiting the governor’s signature would help clear the way for the plant by forcing the state’s utilities to buy synthetic natural gas from the Southside plant and another plant proposed for Downstate to heat Illinois homes.
The Tribune reported Friday that the coal-to-gas plant, proposed by New York-based Leucadia National Corp, could mean higher utility bills for consumers and add pollution in one of the most polluted areas in the country.
The company has said that the plant will eventually save consumers money and that the pollution expected from the plant is miniscule in comparison to other traditional uses for coal.
“It’s not clean energy even though they’re calling it clean energy,” said Peggy SalazarÖ, executive directorÖ at the Southeast Environmental Task ForceÖ. “They’re still using carbon-based feedstock. They’re still taking water for the lake. They’re still polluting the air.”
Salazar was one of a handful of community leaders who met Tuesday with representatives from Leucadia, as well as State Sen. Donne TrotterÖ and Rep. Marlow H. ColvinÖ, who helped sponsor the bill. She said the meeting provided her with more questions than answers.
“We don’t see how it benefits the community having this here. It’s a Brownfield, but it’s not being redeveloped in a way that’s greener.”
Salazar said the community is surrounded by coal piles that generate dust. Introducing a plant that uses coal and pet coke to create gas, she said, could add to that problem.
“On a windy day, sitting on my front porch in summer, I can look in my (beverage) cup and see coal dust floating,” she said. “That doesn’t make a community appealing to live in when you’re covered in soot and coal dust.”
Trotter questioned community leaders who said they knew little to nothing about the proposed plant before a bill passed the General Assembly.
“We still have 90 percent of discussions and work to do,” he said. “We voted for the process to begin. We didn’t vote for it to be there tomorrow.”
Trotter said he tried to allay community members fears at Tuesday’s meeting – “take the politics out of it and deal with science.”
“Ninety-five percent of any emissions are taken care of,” he said. “You’re not going to see these smokestacks spewing pollutants all over the community. That is not going to be the case. This is proven technology.”
A coal-to-gas plant, he said, would bring needed jobs to the area. The plant is expected to result in 200 full-time jobs as well as hundreds of other temporary jobs during construction.
“We have an area that has been totally decimated. The steel mills and the other ancillary businesses in the area left. We’ve been, through the years, trying to find opportunities to replace some of those dollars,” Trotter said.
Leucadia representatives and politicians have not been invited to Thursday’s “town hall meeting,” which is sponsored by the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago and several local environmental groups, including the Southeast Environmental Task Force, Sierra Club, Calumet Ecological Park Association and Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.
“We heard about this plant – rumblings over the last couple of years,” said Sierra Club representative Becki Clayborn. “But we really didn’t hear details about it until this legislation was introduced around Thanksgiving. We’re concerned about depending on coal for our energy future. We’d really like to see a transition away from coal into cleaner energy options.”
How many millions of dollars were spent to clean up Barrie Park (in Oak Park)? This site hosted a coal-gasification plant in the early part of the 20th century, resulting in a great big mess.