Illinois and the Threat to Public Health from Coal Ash Disposal

The document details the prevalence of unlined coal ash ponds in Illinois, identifies specific power plants with groundwater contamination, and critiques the state's regulatory deficiencies regarding ash impoundment safeguards.

• Illinois generates over 4.4 million tons of coal ash annually, ranking 8th in the United States. The state has 83 coal ash ponds across 24 power plants, consisting of 68 active and 15 inactive ponds. Only 37% (31 ponds) are lined and only 34% (28 ponds) have groundwater monitoring systems.
• The Illinois EPA (IEPA) has designated 10 of the 24 power plants as "priority 1 facilities" due to the high risk of water table contamination or the proximity of drinking water wells. Two ponds have been rated as "high hazard."
• Groundwater contamination has been documented at numerous sites. U.S. EPA data shows exceedances of substances such as cadmium, lead, sulfate, and manganese at plants including Powerton, Duck Creek, Hennepin, Havana, Vermillion, Hutsonville, Wood River, and Coffeen. 2010 IL EPA data identified chemicals above drinking water standards at eight plants, with arsenic levels at the Venice Plant exceeding the standard by over 15 times and at the Meredosia plant by nearly 15 times.
• Illinois regulations are described as deficient because they do not require composite liners and groundwater monitoring for all ponds and landfills, do not prohibit constructing ash ponds in the water table, do not require financial assistance for ponds, and do not mandate regular state regulator inspections of coal ash dams.

APA

Earthjustice (n.d.). Illinois and the Threat to Public Health from Coal Ash Disposal. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/il-coal-ash-factsheet.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Illinois and the Threat to Public Health from Coal Ash Disposal. n.d. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/il-coal-ash-factsheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=Illinois and the Threat to Public Health from Coal Ash Disposal |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/il-coal-ash-factsheet.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjusticendillinois, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Illinois and the Threat to Public Health from Coal Ash Disposal}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/il-coal-ash-factsheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }