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Illinois Sues Coal Power Plants over Air Quality Concerns
Produced by Ammad Omar on Friday, August 28, 2009

Photo by Darius Norvilas.

State and federal regulators are taking aim at a fleet of coal-fired power plants in Illinois. Authorities say the plants are pumping dirt and toxins into the air.

Midwest Generation runs six coal plants in Illinois, including the Fisk and Crawford stations in Chicago. Those plants have been exceeding legal limits for emissions of soot, Nitrogen Oxide and Sulfur Dioxide, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday.

The suit is part of a larger initiative by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Justice Department to go after coal plants more aggressively.

Illinois' attorney general has also signed on to the complaint. Midwest Generation says in a statement it's voluntarily agreed to strict emissions standards already. The company promises to "vigorously present and defend" its record.

Just a few weeks ago, activists brought their own lawsuit against Midwest Gen. At that time they chided the EPA for not being more aggressive in enforcing air quality regulations. A spokesman for one of those activist suits, the Environmental Law and Policy Center, says he applauds the latest action.