Illinois Power Resources Generating, LLC (IPRG), an affiliate of Luminant, the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Respiratory Health Association (RHA) are seeking approval of a proposed settlement of a Clean Air Act lawsuit brought by environmental organizations in 2013.
The proposed settlement is subject to review and comment by the Department of Justice and USEPA, and review, approval and entry by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. If approved and entered by the Court, the proposed settlement would provide for retirement of the Edwards plant by the end of 2022 (subject to regulatory approval) and millions of dollars in funding for projects that benefit Peoria-area communities.
In response, Sierra Club, NRDC, and RHA released the following joint statement:
“The proposed settlement announced today is an important milestone in improving air quality for families in Peoria and Central Illinois and allows an important period of time to support transition needs of the community and workers. We hope the Court will approve the settlement, and we look forward to working with the people of Peoria and surrounding communities to develop and implement the beneficial projects the settlement provides for.”
In response, IPRG released the following statement:
“The proposed settlement resolves a long-running lawsuit while providing three years of certainty for the more than 70 employees working at the Edwards plant and, importantly, a transition period for the community to plan for the plant closure. IPRG and Edwards look forward to continuing to provide reliable power for Illinois for the next three years while supporting the communities where our employees live and work.”
