Category Archives: BLOG

Open Letter to Simmons Cancer Institute Regarding High Incidence of Cancer in Montgomery County

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Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU
Dr. David Steward, Director of
Internal Medicine-Population Science
P.O. Box 19636
Springfield, IL 62794-9636

February 23, 2013

Dear Dr. Steward:

Montgomery County Cancer Association has established a fine tradition of raising funds to help cancer patients and finance cancer research.  Richard Small announced recently that MCCA donated $30,000 to Simmons Cancer Institute to study why there is such a high incidence of cancer in Montgomery County.  To help you with historical and current background information, I have listed some of the most harmful environmental influences on Montgomery County’s air, land, and water.

  1. Eagle-Picher Corporation in Hillsboro, IL was placed on the Superfund list in September, 2007 by the U. S. EPA.  In 1916, the Picher Lead Company of Missouri merged with Eagle White Lead to form Eagle-Picher Lead.  This merger made it the second largest producer of lead and zinc products in the world.  It declared bankruptcy protection in January 1991 and for the second time in April 2005.  The clean up of the contaminated area is in the preliminary stages and will be covered by federal funds.
  2. American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) in Taylor Springs was added to the National Priorities List of Superfund hazardous waste sites on September 2006.  Sites on the NPL are eligible for added resources under the Superfund program.  The 181-acre site contained a zinc smelter and zinc oxide production facility.  The extensive pollution on the property dates back to 1911 and includes contaminated soil and two production waste slag piles containing lead, arsenic, cadmium, and other metals.  This site is in the watershed of the Middle Fork of Shoal Creek.
  3. Hillsboro, as well as many other sites in Illinois, is contaminated with coal tar residues left over from manufacturing gas from coal during World War II.  In 1995, the area north of the former ice plant adjacent to Illinois Power (now Ameren Power) was established as a hazardous site by the EPA due to coal tar contamination. Coal tar is known to contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that can cause cancer and other health problems.  Coal tar can leach toxic materials such as PAHs, benzene, benzo (a) pyrene, pyrenes, and toluenes into waterways.  Coal tar based pavement sealant was found to be the major source of PAHs found in 40 urban lakes studied by the U.S. Geological Survey.  The study titled, “Coal Tar Sealant Largest Source of PAHs in Lakes,” was released 12/1/2010.
  4. U. S. Minerals, LLC in Coffeen, IL receives coal combustion bottom ash from Ameren Energy Generating Company-Coffeen Station.  The bottom ash is stored on site until it is processed. This includes drying, crushing and screening in order to make products for roofing shingles, blasting abrasives, road base materials, and filler for seal coating, plastic, paint, and ceramic tile.  No additional ash has been shipped from Ameren since May 2002 although at one time the site contained eight acres of 45-feet deep stockpiled ash and eight more acres paved with ash.Residents living near U.S. Minerals petitioned the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to determine if the contaminants in air and dust were a health risk for them.  McCrone Associates did a comparative study on the coal dust from U.S. Minerals to the dust from an outside table off site and to the dust found inside the house.  The conclusion was that the particle types matched for the outside dust and to a lesser degree the inside dust. The American Testing Company analyzed the dust for 10 metals and concluded the metal levels were consistent with levels available in Illinois soil.  There were no air emission data, stack testing, or organic analyses like PAHs performed.  Illinois Department of Public Health concluded that exposure to metals in ambient air near U.S. Minerals was indeterminate since no air sampling data exist.There was a news release in December 2010 from Region 5 of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration that cited U.S. Minerals LLC for 28 violations and a fine of $396,000.  The company has received serious citations in prior years and this time the citation was listed as willfully exposing its workers to dangerously high levels of hazardous dust, and not providing adequate breathing protection and training for workers at its facility in Coffeen.
  5. Coffeen Power Station is a coal-fired power plant owned and operated by Ameren Energy Resources located south of Hillsboro.  At the end of 2009, Ameren announced it had spent $1 billion for the installation of scrubbers at two of its facilities, Coffeen Power Station and Duck Creek Station.  Scrubbers reduce nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide emissions.  In 2006, there were 22,007 tons of sulfur dioxide and 11,680 tons of nitrogen oxides emitted by the Coffeen Power Plant.  Coffeen Lake that cools the plant operations has mercury contamination and fish consumption should be limited.  In 2005, 80 lb. of mercury was emitted at the plant.  Data provided by SourceWatch.org.Of the contaminants emitted by coal-fired plants, the fine particle pollution of 2.5 microns is considered one of the most damaging to health.  In 2010, Abt Associates was commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force to quantify the deaths and other health effects resulting from fine particle emitted by coal-fired plants similar to Coffeen Power Plant.  Abt’s study reported that each year over 13,000 deaths and tens of thousands of reported cases of chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis, asthma, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, and pneumonia are contributable to U.S. coal plant emissions.  Fine particle contaminants are a mixture composed of soot, heavy metals, and oxides of sulfur and nitrogen.  PAHs are not monitored, although they are the most carcinogenic compounds found in coal. There is no ambient air monitoring station in Montgomery County to document the 2.5 micron particulate emission of Coffeen Power Plant.
  6. Deer Run Mine is located in Hillsboro just a short distance from a nursing home, day care, and Hillsboro Hospital that is so close to the hospital that the air filters are contaminated with coal dust.  This mine exposes the residents to toxic materials in coal products such as arsenic, mercury, selenium, chromium, beryllium, lead, and sulfur and nitrogen oxides.  PAHs are not monitored locally or nationally, but are present in coal dust, coal slurry, coal tar, and coal combustion waste.  The city leaders must not have realized the damage to health caused by coal or they would not have promoted the mine, knowing it was to be located in the city so close to residents.  In addition to coal dust, on occasions the processed coal spontaneously combusts.  Smoldering coal produces noxious fumes, smoke, and particulate matter.The community is also exposed to contaminated runoff from the mine site.  There was an exemption given to Deer Run so rain water and spray water at railroad loading docks and roads are not confined to the mine site.   Another source for polluted mine water in Hillsboro comes from Structure Five.  This body of water collects overflow from mine outfalls and then drains into Central Park Creek.  This flows through the area that has the high school on one side and the middle school on the other side and then proceeds through the community.Over time the 80 ft. high hazard coal slurry structure impoundment will leak toxic chemicals off the mine site resulting in surface and ground water contamination.  Failure of the impoundment can cause loss of life and considerable property damage. The impoundment will never be removed and 5-6 more will be constructed over the 20-30 year life of the mine.  This means that there is a permanent source of water contamination forever in Hillsboro.  The watershed of Hillsboro and Middle Fork of Shoal Creek will help to distribute the mine pollution farther downstream affecting other communities.

A summary of coal’s effect on health can be found at:  http://www.psr.org/coalreport

There is also an informative book titled, “The Silent Epidemic:  Coal and the Hidden Threat to Health by Alan H. Lockwood, MD.  I appreciate your efforts to help the residents in Hillsboro and Montgomery County to escape from the devastation of cancer.

cc: Chairman of the Montgomery County Board, Mayor of Hillsboro, Montgomery County Cancer Association, and the Director of Montgomery County Public Health.

Do We Have Enough Water for Communities and Coal?

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The lack of rain and extreme temperatures has prompted cities of Hillsboro and Litchfield to encourage conservation and caution in water usage.  Hillsboro has even activated an existing city ordinance #1416 that regulates water usage to minimize evaporation and households’ watering distribution.  Offenders may be fined $50 to $500 for a water violation.

A definite warning sign came on July 3 when Glenn Shoals Lake, Hillsboro’s water supply, dropped 2 ½ feet below the normal level and that required Deer Run Mine to stop withdrawal of raw water on July 9, 2012.  (reported in The Hillsboro Journal-News, July 12, 2012)    The purchase agreement between the city and the mine stipulates that the mine must stop withdrawal of water when the lake level drops 2 ½ feet below normal. However, as reported in The Hillsboro Journal-News, August 2, 2012, Glenn Shoal Lake is 4 feet lower than pool level according to Roger Fath, the water superintendent.

Although Deer Run also has a purchase agreement with the city of Litchfield to withdraw raw water from Lake Lou Yaeger, the pipe installation has not yet been completed to transport the water over to Deer Run.  Litchfield’s contract will supply up to 2.5 million gallons per day from Lake Lou Yaeger to Deer Run during March through September provided that the water level does not drop more than 2 feet below the spillway.  Jim Cadwell, the Lake Lou Yaeger superintendent, reported on July 19, 2012 that the lake was dropping ½ inch per day and at that time was 13 inches lower than normal.  The level of water in Lake Lou Yaeger would obviously be much lower if water were removed for the mine.  With or without the drought, the problem for many lake homeowners on Lake Lou Yaeger is that there are several shallow areas and coves (5-inch depth in some areas) where residents cannot use their boats even though they have a contract for lake access.

Lake Lou Yaeger as well as Glenn Shoals has major siltation problems that are not addressed by either city. Both cities assured the residents before the mine was built that money from selling water to Deer Run Mine would be used to manage, maintain, and dredge the lake if needed.  Unfortunately, both cities placed the coal money in the general fund with no specific designation to be used for care of the lake. These two lakes are precious resources that must be cared for because no water translates into destroyed communities.

The real question is, “why community lake water is sold as an industrial commodity?” when it is so desperately needed by citizens.  Water contracts are made and fulfilled without consideration of present or future needs of the community.

Is the City of Hillsboro Looking Out for the Best Interests of Its Residents?

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Why would a municipality agree to pay bills of a private company when the city does not have enough financial flexibility to meet its own obligations without borrowing?

The City of Hillsboro has agreed to pay over $2 million dollars for bills of Deer Run Mine that would be reimbursed at a later time by Patton Mining.  Is this the most prudent way to use citizens’ tax revenue?  Keep in mind that the mine has already received tax breaks by being in the Enterprise Zone.

This conflicting arrangement should never have happened.  For the City to appropriate approximately 30 percent of its working budget to subsidize Deer Run Mine’s obligations is fiscally irresponsible and establishes a dangerous precedent. How can the City demand that the mine follow critical safety issues when in reality it is a quasi-partner with the mine? The City has placed itself in a very vulnerable position and its residents even more so.

The dates when the loan repayments are made should be made public and interest should be paid to the City based on current rates.  The City is having major financial problems; Deer Run Mine, owned by billionaire Chris Cline, is not.

The community’s interests have not been protected in other ways. The airport was sold to Hillsboro Energy LLC on January 9, 2008 for $350,000 with the stipulation that a replacement facility be provided within 10 years or before the present airport is decommissioned – which has already happened. What is the status of a new airport?  Hillsboro citizens would certainly like to know.

Local roads, including Route 185, are experiencing heavy use by mine trucks and will be subjected to subsidence.  Roads surrounding the mine have been particularly affected, but the expense of repair is not necessarily the responsibility of the mine.  Patton Mining is paying for the materials needed to repair the road south of Kink’s Corner, but the county is supplying the labor.  The cost of future road repair can be illustrated by the resurfacing of Red Ball Trail for $1.2 Million.   The county pays $333,000, grants cover approximately $700,000, Ameren $280,000; so it is ultimately the tax payer who will bear the burden, not the mine.

So, what do you think?  Is the City of Hillsboro looking out for the best interests of its residents?

Can Hillsboro Afford the Money Drain of Deer Run Mine?

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Mining coal brings in millions of dollars in profits for out of state coal companies – but how much of that actually benefits the Illinois communities where coal is mined? The city of Hillsboro – where a West Virginia coal company has begun work on the massive new Deer Run mine – is concerned about the lack of funds available to manage its financial obligations. The city’s finance Commissioner, Richard Small has suggested possible ways to increase revenue including a sales tax increase, a telecommunication tax on cell phones and landlines, and phasing out extra benefit perks for employees and volunteers.

With Hillsboro’s obvious cash flow problem, it is puzzling why the city has paid over $1.6 million in 2011 for bills of Deer Run Mine. For example, at the December 13, 2011 City Council meeting, it was decided to borrow $52,000 for a scheduled water tower payment, but the commissioners voted to pay a $139,050 bill for the mine. In 2009, when the Hillsboro Zoning Board of Appeals amended the land use plan to allow underground coal mining, the stated reason for the zoning change was “… to promote economic growth of the community, conserve property values, and protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the City of Hillsboro, Illinois…” Instead, the mine has become a financial drain on the area, becoming a prime example of what should not be allowed to happen when a new coal mine comes into a community.

While the Hillsboro area is suffering financially,  billionaire Chris Cline, owner of Foresight Energy Partners and Deer Run Mine, has filed an initial public offering that is expected to bring in over $100 million. Meanwhile, the people of Montgomery County are being paid a pittance for the coal under their feet. The coal rights for over 200 million tons of coal reserves were sold by Montgomery County Board to an affiliate of the Cline Group, in December, 2004 for only $7.2 million, which then turned around and resold those coal rights to another Cline affiliate for $255 million. It is more than a tragedy that our community has been so misled.

The city and county leaders are promoting Deer Run Mine with the cooperation from the Office of Mines and Minerals and Office of Water Resources in the Department of Natural Resources. The mine has been given free range to make profits and grow. So citizens of Hillsboro, we must defend our community and quality of life for our children and grandchildren. Our government and regulatory agencies have not done their job to protect us.