THE FOLLOWING IS AN ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN CAUCUS RELEASE
Dynegy Midwest Generation, owner of the closed Vermilion Power Station north of Oakwood, disclosed recently that riverbank erosion next to its coal ash along the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River has reached a point of requiring reinforcement to prevent the collapse of the ash waste impoundment.
The former power plant’s 3.3 million cubic yards of coal ash remain in the floodplain of the river, awaiting Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for removal. But the state agency has been reviewing the removal plan for over four years without action.
State Representative Brandun Schweizer of Danville who recently met with the company:
A June 30 riverbank erosion inspection revealed that the trigger line had been reached, initiating a plan to install 500 feet of rock along a critical section of the river to halt the erosion. State Rep Schwizer stated:
In 2023, Dynegy and the State of Illinois finalized a settlement that required Dynegy create a plan to remove the coal ash, construct a new landfill on Dynegy’s property outside of the Middle Fork’s floodplain, and move the coal ash into the landfill. Dynegy submitted the closure plan to the Illinois EPA in January 2022, where it is awaiting approval.
