State Responds To Starved Rock Criticism

The Peoria Journal Star reports that on the same day the Chicago Tribune ran a front page story about the deteriorating conditions at Starved Rock State Park, the Department of Natural Resources announced that it will hire two new employees to work at Starved Rock and Matthiessen state parks.

Even with the state promising to fill two positions at Starved Rock State Park, a union representative says workers still are losing ground.

But it's a step in the right direction, concedes Don Petre, a union steward representing employees of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

"I think they're feeling a little pressure," Petre said Friday. "The union's position is, we've filed multiple grievances on the positions that have been lost over the years. And that's what got the ball rolling."

On Friday, IDNR spokesman Chris McCloud - who just three weeks ago said the current administration had done a good job cutting a bloated workforce at the site - said the state has posted an opening for a full-time site technician for the dual complex consisting of Starved Rock and Matthiessen state parks and plans to post soon an opening for an 80-percent-time clerical worker. Two part-time student workers and six conservation workers also will be hired to help through the summer, he said.

The problems at Starved Rock and Matthiessen are the result of budget cuts and layoffs imposed on DNR by the Blagojevich Administration in the past three years.

Mercury Emissions From Coal Plants Increasing

For the second day in a row the Chicago Tribune has a front page story about an environmental issue. Continuing their excellent coverage of problems of mercury contamination, today's article reports that "airborne mercury levels in Illinois jumped 28 percent from 1999 to 2002," bucking a national trend of lower air pollution emissions.

Mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants is increasing nationwide, even as the Bush administration touts an overall decline in toxic chemicals released by industry into the environment.

Though total mercury emissions decreased less than 2 percent from 2003 to 2004, the amount blown into the air by power plants increased 4 percent, a Tribune analysis of newly released federal data shows.

Coal plants in 28 states, including Illinois, put more mercury into the air during 2004 than the year before, offsetting lower amounts of the hazardous metal from plants elsewhere. [snip]

The article points out that Illinois ranked sixth among all states in the amount of mercury emitted by coal plants, and lends further support to Governor Blagojevich's proposal to reduce mercury emissions from coal plant by 90 percent.

Starved Rock Suffering From Impact of Budget Cuts

Starved Rock State Park, is seeing the harmful impacts of the Blagojevich Administration's DNR budget cuts, according to an article in today's Chicago Tribune. When these cuts were made more than a year, the administration tried to offer assurances that services would not suffer, but that has not been the case.

At Starved Rock, regular trail patrols are a thing of the past. Guided hikes have been eliminated. The supply of printed trail maps ran out six months ago, though new ones are finally on order. The Starved Rock Foundation, a volunteer booster group, filled the gap by paying for photocopies.

Wooden planks helicoptered in years ago for an erosion-control project lie unused by the side of one trail, the stockpile still wrapped in its original metal bindings. There hasn't been a park-improvement project since 2002.

There's just one naturalist to staff the visitor center, even though thousands of people pour through on weekends. The center shuts at 4 p.m. daily, even in busy summer months when sunset is hours away.

This is an important article, and I encourage you to read the whole thing. To learn more about advocacy efforts in support of better funding for parks and recreation, check out Partners for Parks and Wildlife, a statewide coalition working on this issue.

Open Space Fund Raid in the News

Jeff Lampe, the Outdoors writer for the Peoria Journal Star, included a mention of the proposed fund raid in his column today:

FUND RAID: For the third time in the past three years, politicians are talking about snitching money from the Open Space Land Acquisitions Development Fund and the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund.

This year's proposed raid differs from past efforts in two regards. For one, the latest proposal to take $20 million from OSLAD and $5 million from NAAF was initiated by legislators and not by the governor's office.

The other significant difference is that raided money would be for new programs, not budget shortfalls.

"Part of what's frustrating this time is they're looking for money for some new proposals," said Jonathan Goldman, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. "It's one thing to say we're going to take dedicated funds to fill a budget hole and another thing to say we're going to use those funds for new programs."

Goldman said he is "cautiously optimistic" the proposal will be scrapped. "They're hearing from a lot of people right now, as they have in the last two years when this was tried," Goldman said.

"Mercury Switch" Bill Signed by Gov. Blagojevich at Earth Day Ceremony

On a beautiful Earth Day afternoon in front of Chicago’s lakeshore, Governor Blagojevich signed HB 5578, the Mercury Switch Removal Act, on the lawn of the Shedd Aquarium, flanked by key legislative, agency and environmental leaders. The new law, which will keep as much as 800 pounds of mercury per year out of the air, was IEC's top legislative priority this session, and represents three years of negotiations between the automotive industry, recycling industry, steel industry, and environmental community.

Prior to 2003, many automobile manufacturers used mercury in vehicle light switches and anti-lock brakes. When those vehicles are scrapped and recycled (usually by melting down the steel) the mercury is emitted to the environment. HB5578 is a comprehensive program that ensures high capture rate by making auto-makers, steel industry and recyclers responsible for ensuring that switches are removed before autos are recycled and may provide compensation of $2 per switch to recyclers to cover the expenses of removing, storing and shipping used mercury switches. Also, the legislation requires educational materials and assistance for the removal and storage of the switches.

“Illinois today takes another step forward towards eliminating sources of mercury into our environmental,” said Jonathan Goldman, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “This new law will clean up the second largest source of mercury pollution in Illinois, and we applaud Governor Blagojevich for his leadership on this issue.”

With the passage of HB 5578, Illinois became the 7th state, the first midwestern state and the largest state in the country to enact such a program. The other states with similar laws are Maine, New Jersey, Arkansas, Rhode Island, North Carolina and Utah. In the past three years, Illinois has enacted laws that ban the sale and manufacture of mercury fever thermometers and novelty items (2003), most mercury-added thermostats and relays in consumer products and prohibit schools from purchasing mercury for classroom use (2004), and mercury as a preservative in pediatric vaccines (2005).

The Illinois Environmental Council is a founding member of a new coalition, Mercury Free Illinois, designed to help coordinate and amplify the environmental community's fight against the spread of mercury pollution in the state. Visit http://www.mercuryfreeillinois.org/ for more information.

Open Space Funding Under Attack Again

As the General Assembly's budget negotiators attempt to finish the state budget for next year, there is a new proposal on the table to raid $25 million from dedicated open space acquisition funds. The proposal would take $20 million from the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Fund (OSLAD) and $5 million from the Natural Areas Acquisition Fund (NAAF).

In the past two years, several proposals to divert or raid these funds have been defeated, and the arguments behind the proposed cuts were to use the money to help meet a budget deficit. Yet this proposal comes at a time when the state is actually seeing a budget surplus, and the money would be used to fund new programs.

In addition to the proposed raid, Senate Bill 14 would divert another $8.7 million from OSLAD and NAAF to help pay the State’s medical bills. This is money that was originally supposed to have been used for ‘administrative chargebacks’ that would reimburse the State for the cost of administering the funds. These charges have been blocked by Treasurer Topinka because of a pending legal challenge. SB 14 drops the pretense that these charges are for administrative costs, and will simply use this dedicated open space money to pay the costs of another program.

A big problem is that the State has been very slow to appropriate and spend OSLAD and NAAF money at a time when the revenue into these funds is increasing. This creates the impression that the money is not being spent, yet the spending decisions (i.e. not to increase funding for these programs) are being made by the same officials who are claiming that there is ‘extra’ money in the fund!

However, demand for these programs always exceeds the money being made available. In the past three years one-third of OSLAD applicants, with projects totaling $25 million, have been turned down due to ‘lack of funding’.

To spend OSLAD/NAAF funds for other than their intended purpose is poor public policy. It is also not consistent with the purpose for which the funds were collected. It is, however, expedient and easy – if we don’t speak up. We need your voice to oppose the sweeping of these funds and to prevent another raid on money that should support parks, recreation and natural areas.

Please contact your legislators and Governor Blagojevich and tell them to stop the raid on OSLAD and NAAF!

To send a free fax letter go to the Illinois Action Project.

Evidence Shows Mercury Reductions Work

Opponents to Gov. Blagojevich's proposal to reduce mercury emissions from coal fired power plants by 90 percent are fond of claiming that there is no proof that requiring these reductions will do anything to protect the health of Illinois' residents.

Phillip M. Gonet, president of the Illinois Coal Association, told the Southern Illinoisan in January: "To think there is going to be any kind of environmental impact by enforcing a rule like this is absolutely ludicrous," Gonet said. "This rule will have absolutely no impact on the environment at all. This is a case of using an anvil to kill a fly."

However, a recent study by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection found major improvements after enacting mercury emission reductions for incinerators.

Seven years after Massachusetts enacted the nation's toughest mercury emission laws for incinerators, amounts of the toxic metal have declined by 32 percent in a signature freshwater fish caught near some of those facilities. [snip]

The mercury decline appears to stem from two efforts that began in 1998. First, the Department of Environmental Protection began requiring the state's nine trash incinerators to scrub or remove 85 percent of the mercury emitted from their smokestacks. Old batteries, thermostats, thermometers, and fluorescent lights all contribute to the emissions.

Today, only seven incinerators remain, and they scrub about 90 percent of the mercury. Incinerators continue to operate in North Andover, Haverhill, Saugus, Rochester, Millbury, Springfield, and Pittsfield. (Fall River and Lawrence incinerators have closed.)

Second, the state once had 240 medical waste incinerators that burned items such as mercury thermometers, but those incinerators began closing at a greater rate as federal and state rules tightened. The last one closed in 2003.

The results in Massachusetts are similar to the impact found in the Everglades by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Human caused mercury emissions from industrial sources in south Florida, principally incinerators, have come under effective control during the past decade; emissions of mercury in south Florida have declined by 90%. Subsequently, mercury in Fish and wildlife of the Everglades has declined by about 75% to date.

Michigan Follows Illinois' Lead on Mercury

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has proposed a mercury reduction plan for coal fired power plants similar to the one unveiled earlier this year by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. The Michigan plan would reduce mercury by 90 percent by 2015, while the Illinois plan calls for 90 percent reductions by 2009.

From the Associated Press:

The state policy goes beyond mercury reduction standards announced by the Bush
administration last year. The federal goal is to cut mercury pollution 70 percent nationwide by 2018, although the DEQ says Michigan probably would see little if any reduction until 2025 or later.

Michigan and more than a dozen other states are suing the federal government, saying its standards are too weak. The governors of Illinois, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Georgia recently have announced plans to seek 90 percent reductions.

Conservation Police Struggling with Budget Cuts

This article was highlighted on The Capitol Fax Blog. Steve Sarley writes in the Northwest Herald about his experiences riding along with Conservation Police officers, and what he learns about their work.

What the IDNR cops felt was needed was a set of night vision goggles to have a better chance of nabbing the poachers. The word quickly spread around the Internet. Rich Gallagher, the president of the Fox River Valley chapter of Muskies, Inc., heard the ruckus. Gallagher, an excellent muskie fisherman, guide and seminar instructor, is one of the nicest guys around and is always ready to take up a good cause. He decided to attempt to stage a collection to buy a set of these high-tech specs for our conservation cops. The plea for money spread from local Web sites to national message boards.

SURPRISING FEEDBACK

Incredibly, many people were opposed to the club's attempt at aiding the IDNR. Most of the complaining referred to it not being the public's responsibility to bail out the government. Some folks feel they pay enough in taxes in the first place. Sure, it's not your responsibility and you do play plenty of taxes. By the way, don't start complaining when walleye and muskie fishing on the Chain begins to head south, thank you. There was so much animosity over the subject that many of the message boards deleted the threads regarding this issue.

Hey, I pay taxes too. It galls me to hear a state agency has no cash, but what else can we do but try to help?

MONEY TROUBLES

This is serious stuff, folks. The IDNR has had its budget slashed to next to nothing in recent years. Northern Illinois cops recently have received an increase in their operating budget to run their boats. They are now getting $350, up from winter's $250, for gas, oil, repairs and maintenance on their patrol boats. Gas is pushing $3 a gallon. That means if the boats remain in running order and need no repair, the cops are left with enough money to run their boats for 10 days out of a month.

Maybe Gov. Blagojevich can pass a new law that would force boaters to have to drive up to anchored IDNR boats to have their licenses and catches checked, because the IDNR doesn't give the cops enough money to put gas in the patrol boats. I'm just kidding, but don't think there isn't someone in Springfield who'll read this and think it is a feasible idea.

This budget issue is unconscionable and needs to be addressed immediately – if not by the current administration, then by the next one.

Environmental Legislation Update

Mercury Warning Back
Rep. Harry Osterman has resubmitted his mercury warning bill as HR 1134, urging retail stores selling fresh fish in Illinois to post a notice about the dangers of mercury. Although more likely to pass than his proposed bill, if enacted, the resolution won’t carry the force of law. A hearing is scheduled for the Environmental Health Committee on Wednesday, April 19 at 10 am.

Permit Outsourcing
A bill allowing firms to expedite pollution permit applications, SB 2580 (Sen. Clayborne and Rep. John Bradley), has a new life, with an extension to April 30. IEC and other groups oppose the bill's preferential treatment for big polluters. The bill has been assigned to the State Government Administration Committee, which has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, April 19 at 10 am.

Diesel Idling Bill Passes Senate
The bill limiting pollution from diesel engines, HB 4782 (Rep. Nekritz), has now passed both houses and awaits Governor Blagojevich’s signature. The new law would limit idling by stationary diesel vehicles to 10 minutes per hour in the Chicago and Metro East areas.

Dead Bills
Two bills opposed by IEC have been shelved for the session in the rules committee. SB 2333 (Sen. Watson) would disallow any anonymous complaints about pollution to the state, and SB 2744 (Sen. Demuzio) would make it almost impossible to file litigation on a livestock nuisance until the facility was already built. Unfortunately, SB 716 (Rep. Currie), which would have provided an exemption from car rental taxes for car sharing programs such as the I-GO project at the Center for Neighborhood Technology, has been stranded in the House Revenue Committee, as well.

Bike Trail Funds Threatened

The League of Illinois Bicyclists is warning that federal funds provided to Illinois for bike trails are being disproportionately cut by the Blagojevich Administration.

The issue is covered in an article in the State Journal Register today.

Bicycle enthusiasts say bike trail funds are being unfairly targeted as the Illinois Department of Transportation looks to make cuts to cover millions in federal funds that are being rescinded by Washington. IDOT is being asked to return $40 million at the end of this month, in addition to $70 million already sent back this fiscal year.

The state's transportation agency is asked to return some money nearly every year, but the amount has grown from $11 million in fiscal 2002 to $44.3 million in fiscal 2005 to $110 million this year. To close the gap, IDOT has looked toward "unobligated funds," those that are not yet under contract.

Ed Barsotti, executive director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists, says transportation funds that pay for bike trails are easy to target because projects take a long time from design to completion. As a result, balances to pay for construction pile up while engineering and other work is completed. But even though the dollars are not under contract, they still are designated for trail projects, he said.

For more information, the League of Illinois Bicyclists has put out a press release and an action alert.

Conservation Forum

Last week in Springfield more than 100 people and 80 organizations came together for the Conservation Forum, to discuss priorities. The Forum was modeled on the Conservation Congress that used to be run by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and was co-sponsored by the Illinois Environmental Council, Illinois Federation for Outdoor Resources, and the Illinois Association of Park Districts.

Chicago Tribune sports and outdoors writer Lew Freedman devoted his column today to the story of the Forum.

A rebellion. The Conservation Forum playing out in meeting rooms of the Public Affairs Center on the University of Illinois-Springfield campus last Saturday did not involve pitchforks or implements of hand-to-hand destruction. But it was definitely a call to action, definitely a rally and, yes, the fact of its existence constituted rebellion. That is rebellion against the status quo in the state's environmental and conservation policies and rebellion against Gov. Rod Blagojevich's cuts in the Illinois Department of Natural Resources budget. Disturbed and frustrated about diminishing staffing and funding for IDNR--hindering the agency's stewardship of the state's natural resources--representatives of 86 organizations gathered to draw attention to the problems and to craft a position paper of potential solutions. [Snip]

Not long ago Illinois' natural resources department was considered a national model. In the last four-plus years, however, program funding has been chopped and hundreds of employees have been laid off, taken buyouts or retired. During the sessions, the new IDNR headquarters in the capital was referred to as "a ghost town." The event was treated as an emergency input session designed to form a base-line platform for IDNR's future.

Basic conclusions:

- IDNR must be adequately funded, and gubernatorial raids on dedicated funds swept into the general fund for parks, land acquisition, habitat endowment, forestry and conservation must cease. [Snip]

-The director of the IDNR should be a professionally trained manager with a background in wildlife biology or another area in the field. [Snip]

- All operations of the IDNR, from fieldwork to policy affecting the land and the state's waters, should be driven by science, not politics.

- Education of citizens through IDNR programs must be revved up. The creation of a speaker's bureau consisting of conservation experts to make appearances should be considered.

- The Illinois Conservation Congress, shelved by Blagojevich, should be reconstituted and re-empowered to make recommendations for future IDNR programs and needs. [Snip]

Wiser outdoorsmen long have recognized that hunters and fishermen have much in common with conservation groups despite political differences on other issues. The crisis attitude brought these organizations together and highlighted areas of agreement.

All of the priorities identified at the Forum will compiled into a report that will be publicly released soon.

Biotech or Bio-wreck?

Last week Chicago hosted the BIO 2006 convention, attended by considerable media fanfare touting the business opportunities for Chicago and Illinois in the biotech field. Governor Blagojevich and Mayor Daley were both among the political leaders pitching the local opportunities.

Not getting so much press coverage was the BioETHICS 2006 conference, which took place at the same time, intending to offer a counterpoint of opinions on biotech concerns.

Julie Deardorff writes about some of these concerns in her column in today's Chicago Tribune.

By some estimates, 70 percent of the food on grocery store shelves may contain biotech ingredients, but only 25 percent of Americans think they've eaten genetically modified food. Wake up! [snip]

Europe, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand require the labeling of foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients. Industry maintains that labeling would unnecessarily scare people away from GMO food, which is considered safe, even though no long-term studies have been done. But labeling is important because it means people would have a choice. The only real way to avoid GMO food is to buy organic or grow your own, provided you're not downwind from a Monsanto field. Given that organic products now can be found at Wal-Mart, it's safe to say consumers want a choice. [snip]

The BIO 2006 conference relentlessly pushed the notion that biotech is the answer to everything. The rival BioETHICS event warned that biotech is the root of all evil. The truth lurks somewhere in between.

Real Time Pricing for Electricity

Copley News Service has an nice story about an effort to support real time pricing as a way to reduce electricity costs. The legislature recently passed Senate Bill 1705 (Sen. Harmon and Rep. Scully), which builds on the success of a recent pilot project and requires utilities to offer real-time pricing programs. These programs vary the price of electricity as the cost of providing it changes throughout the day.

About 1,500 Commonwealth Edison customers are taking advantage of a pilot program that has allowed them to use real-time pricing. Among those is state Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock, who saved an average of 16 percent after the first year of switching over to the pilot program. "I think it's worthwhile, and I think it makes sense to offer that to folks if they're willing to alter their usage," Franks said. "If you don't want to alter your usage, then you should stay on the fixed plan."

Due to the fact that real-time prices are driven up by high demand and low supply, customers who are home during peak hours might find the flat rate to be cheaper than actual daytime rates that come along with the alternate pricing plan.

The legislation was an initiative of the Center for Neighborhood Technology and the Community Energy Cooperative, which ran the pilot project, and was supported by IEC. The bill now goes to Governor Blagojevich for his signature.

Urban Wilderness

Two interesting stories in the Chicago Sun-Times today about conservation and wildlife in the Chicago region. A report card by Chicago Wilderness gives C's and D's to the state of the Chicago area's natural world. Some good news:

But the report finds hope in the fact that birds and other wildlife are pouring back into some locales -- ones that are not only protected but managed, said John Rogner, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife regional chief who co-chairs Chicago Wildness.

"In the early days it was thought that setting land aside was all that needed to be done," he said. "Now we know that's not good enough."

The other story gives some more good news--and a great example of what viable open land can bring to a region. Endangered, rare and beautiful whooping cranes have been spotted for the first time in DuPage County, resting on their journey north for spring in a forest preserve near Glendale Heights.

Risky Fishing

Illinois PIRG today released Risky Fishing: Power Plant Mercury Pollution and Illinois Sport Fish. According to the report, the average mercury concentration in Illinois sport fish samples was 20% above the federal U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safe limit for women of average weight who eat fish twice per week.

“This is the first time a comprehensive analysis of all of the federal and state fish samples has ever been made available to the public,” said Max Muller, the report’s author and environmental advocate at Illinois Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). “Our findings show that mercury contamination is everywhere in Illinois and highlight the need to reduce mercury emissions as much as possible and as soon as possible”

Key findings of this report include:

• The mean mercury concentration in Illinois fish samples was 0.16 parts per million (ppm), about 20 percent higher than U.S. EPA’s 0.13 ppm safe limit for women of average weight who eat fish twice per week.

• Thirty-nine (39) percent of the fish samples exceeded the 0.13 ppm safe mercury limit for women of average weight who eat fish twice per week.

• A largemouth bass caught in Sherman Park Lagoon in South Chicago had the highest mercury concentration of fish in either of the two studies at 1.40 ppm. For references, that is 0.40 ppm above the legal limit for fish sold in the United States. The second highest mercury concentration, at 1.07 ppm was found in a largemouth Bass in Kinkaid Lake, in Jackson County, and the third highest, at 0.94 ppm, was found in a largemouth bass in Cedar Lake, also in Jackson County.

• Fifty-nine (59) percent of the fish samples exceeded the safe mercury limit for children of average weight under age three who eat fish twice a week; 50 percent of fish samples exceeded the safe limit for children ages three to five years; and 34 percent of samples exceeded the safe limit for children ages six to eight years.

• In nearly half (36) of the 77 counties included in the studies, the average fish sample mercury concentration exceeded U.S. EPA’s safe limit for women. These counties are geographically distributed throughout the state. In 8 counties (Boone, DeKalb, Edwards, Effingham, Kane, Pope, Pulaski, and Schuyler), 100% of fish samples were contaminated above the safe limit.

• In half (16) of 32 species included in the studies, the average fish sample mercury concentration exceeded U.S. EPA’s safe limit for women. These species were, in descending order of average mercury concentration, bigmouth buffalo, freshwater drum, striped bass, lake trout, spotted bass, sauger, smallmouth buffalo, spotted sucker, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, brown trout, Chinook salmon, white bass, channel catfish, carp, and white sucker.

• In 66 of the 145 lakes and streams included in the studies, the average fish sample mercury concentrations exceeded U.S. EPA’s safe limit for women. The ten lakes with highest average fish sample mercury concentrations were, in descending order: Lusk Creek in Pope County, Monee Reservoir in Will County, Devil's Kitchen Lake in Williamson County, an unnamed lake in Tazewell County, Piscasaw Creek in Boon County, McKinley Park Lagoon in Cook County, Steven A. Forbes Lake in Marion County, Big Muddy Creek in Clay County, Kinkaid Lake in Jackson County, and Cedar Lake in Jackson County.

Eminent Domain Legislation

The hot breaking issue in Springfield in the past few days is eminent domain. The bill is a response to the US Supreme Court decision that allows eminent domain to be used to take land and then turn it over to a private developer in the name of economic development.

Most states are now pursuing legislation to limit this possibility, and in Illinois it is contained in SB 3086, sponsored by Sen. Susan Garrett and Rep. John Bradley. The bill was fairly innocuous from our perspective until it passed the Senate and arrived in the House. There are now substantial revisions taking place that has the bill up to 500 pages, and it has gotten very, very complicated.

On its face the issues are clear - there should be a higher standard that has to be met when land is taken by a unit of government and turned over to a private developer. For example, we wouldn't want eminent domain used to take farms so they could be given to a developer to build a subdivision in the name of economic development.

However, the bill apparently sets a virtually unreachable bar for taking property which is then used for private or third party uses. This is a problem where the land is a contaminated brownfields site and is being taken so the environmental hazards can be cleaned up and it can be returned to productive use. Under the bill, proving this would be so difficult as to ensure it couldn't be done.

Another problem is the additional costs and burdens that will be imposed, which will impact situations where park or forest preserve districts are buying land. The money for open space acquisition is so tight that this would make it much harder for these types of transactions to occur.

The Illinois Association of Park Districts is now opposing the bill, and IEC is weighing in against it as well. The current version of the bill exists only in 500 page amendments that are not yet in the online record, and they are being rewritten at least daily. So far the bill has been stuck in the House Judiciary I committee, with another hearing set for Wednesday.

Mercury, Mercury, Everywhere

There has been quite a bit of news coverage recently about mercury contamination. Today's Chicago Tribune has an article about a new Illinois PIRG report:

Tests found that 40 percent of the fish sampled statewide during the past two decades had mercury levels above the federal exposure limit for an average-size woman.

This past Sunday the State Journal Register editorialized in favor of Governor Blagojevich's plan for reducing mercury emissions from coal plants by 90%.

The dangers of mercury pollution are real. The technology is available to clean it up. The costs are not exorbitant. Some argue that nothing is forcing Illinois to be a leader in this area. We argue the health of our children should be force enough.

Last week several groups and local officials held a press conference in Waukegan (which has a large coal fired power plant) in support of the governor's plan. There were good stories about the event in the Chicago Tribune and the Waukegan News Sun.