A Champaign-based environmental group will try again next week to prevent a coal mine from locating in southwest Vermilion County. Sunrise Coal Company said earlier that its proposed Bulldog Coal Mine would create 300 permanent jobs with an average salary of $76-thousand dollars. But Prairie Rivers Network says the mine would cause terrible harm – including well and groundwater contamination from coal slurry areas and coal dust air pollution. And Prairie Rivers Network claims streams in the area would be adversely affected by discharges from the mine.
The environmental group says the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River is beloved for its beauty, biological diversity, and recreational opportunities and ‘’will carry the burden of discharges from this mine.’’
Prairie Rivers says Illinois cannot fight climate change and lead on clean energy if it continues to support dirty energy.
The battle over the Bulldog Mine is a decade old. The mine is now just one step away from getting its permit to begin construction.
Community members and members of Stand Up to Coal have filed for an administrative review challenging the request for the permit. An Administrative Review Hearing is scheduled for Thursday, February 27th.
