Woods & Wetlands Power Plant Information

Releases  (newest at the top)
	VICTORY! - For Now ... SkyGen Drops Plans to Build Power Plant at This Site Skygen is now trying to sell the property to other peaker companies.  We must redouble our efforts in Springfield for effective legislation while they regroup.
	Zion City Council Meeting  Tuesday, December 7th 7:00 p.m. Zion CityHall Sheridan Road Ask why this is permitted in your neighborhood. For more information, contact Susan Zingle at 263-5142. To join the Sierra Club Woods & Wetlands Powerplant Committee contact John Chambers .
	EPA Air Pollution Permit Application SkyGen Energy is applying for a permit to pollute our air. If approved the plant will be an additional Major Source. EPA will hold hearings to gage the impact and the public concern. This link will go to the actual permit application when they post it. Stay tuned for additional details about how this will affect our region.

This 800 Megawatt plant is proposed for greenspace west of Zion, at 9th and Delaney, near the pristine Wadsworth Prairie Forest Preserve. It was previously proposed by Zion to the Lake County Board, along with new sewer infrastructure, where it was defeated. Now it is being proposed again, without the sewer.

• Pollution: This plant will be a major air pollution source. It will release thousands of tons of regulated toxic pollutants per year :
• 715 tons of smog forming NO_x - nitrous oxides,
• 256 tons of poisonous CO - carbon monoxide,
• 145 tons of choking PM10 - particulate matter,
• tons of corrosive SO₂ - sulfur dioxide,
• 25 tons of smog forming VOC's - volatile organic compounds.
• PLUS Millions of tons of unregulated Global Warming gases (CO₂).
Emissions will be worse if run on oil instead of natural gas. EPA will hold hearings. There are better options: electricity conservation, efficiency, renewables. If they receive an air pollution pemit from EPA, enforcement of that permit will continue to be an issue and cost taxpayers money. Presently budget constraints cover major source inspections only once every two years.
• Water Consumption: The plant will require over 100,000 gallons of water per day for coolant. This huge requirement will tax our water supply infrastructure, deduct from our allocation of fresh water from Lake Michigan. If drawn from the deep aquifer instead, release of radioactive mineral content of the aquifer water becomes a concern.
• Greenfields vs. Brownfields: Sited in green space, within a mile of residences. We favor siting industrial facilities on ground that already shows the scars of industry rather than sacrificing virgin soil, and productive wetlands. It is not in the public interest to promote new industry that destroys our rich soils while used industrial sites are abandoned and languish.
• Loss of Topsoil: The rich topsoil deposited and retained in our region by prairies is unstable when built upon because the organic matter in it decomposes. Development of this site will call for large scale removal of topsoil, with much of it likely shipped off site. In addition, displacement of large amounts of topsoil are likely to result in wind and water erosion carrying the soil off the site, degrading our streams and lakes.
• Oil Reservoir 1.5 million gallons of fuel oil will be stored on site for backup, raising the possibility of ground contamination if a spill occurs.
• Noise: This gas turbine power plant uses 5 huge jet engines, and will run them during hot summer days. The noise will be a dull roar within a quarter mile, and audible for twice that far.
• Employment: Will the plant will be remotely operable? Will it provide jobs? Other proposals call for less than a handful of on-site employees.
• Ugly: Two exhaust stacks rising ? feet in the air to release their toxic plumes.

• Replace your appliances with more efficient ones. The money you save in electricity bills will pay for your investment in a few years. Air conditioners and refrigerators are the biggest opportunities. Computers now account for 13% of usage. Turn them off when not in use. You can also take advantage of ComEd's high efficiency fluorescent light bulb offer.

 
• Help promote wind and solar energy in our region.

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