Coal Industry

DE Staff Reporter
Daily Egyptian

In the 1980s, Illinois was home to a booming coal industry. It brought in millions of dollars per year and employed more than 18,000 people. Once the Environmental Protection Agency changed its guidelines and the Clean Air Act was passed, coal plants and mines were shut down leaving only about 4,000 people employed in the few facilities still operating.

Thankfully, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has made an effort to return things to the way they once were. When he signed House Bill 2866 to give more than $300 million of new funds to the coal industry throughout the state, he gave hope for new jobs, money and a way to produce more energy while lowering high gas prices.

The coal plants that would occupy land in Illinois would meet EPA standards and have already proven to work. There are currently three plants in Illinois that use clean coal technology, so there is no question that coal plants could not meet guidelines.

A great aspect of the bill is that it will reduce obstacles for energy companies from out-of-state to bring plants to Illinois. Blagojevich is allowing more than $500 million in grants for clean coal plants that are constructed in Illinois.

This is a great idea. It will help the industry in Illinois by helping the economic situation, and at the same time allow for more jobs.

Approximately 4,000 jobs will be made available for construction, plant operation and mining once a site is approved for a facility. This is much needed for the many people who are still eligible to work in the industry.

Those who were young when most of the plants were closed, and are now still at an age at which they are able to work in the industry, will have the opportunity to be employed.

Just the signing of the bill is not enough, though.

Companies in the coal industry have to take advantage of the money available and build plants in Illinois. It takes about 18 months for paperwork to go through proper channels, and because of this fact, if the coaling industry in Illinois wants to see any forward progress, companies would have to get moving soon to begin the process.

Hopefully, if enough companies decided to do business in Illinois, the process will not take as long so the ball can get rolling on hiring people, changing the economic status of Illinois and lowering gas prices.

Illinois is a great state for the coal industry with its abundance of resources.

It would be a shame for all of the material to sit, unused for years, when everyone could benefit from its mining.

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