A coalition of environmental advocacy groups have filed a notice of intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for its failure to enforce the Regional Haze Rule required by the Clean Air Act, according to the Sierra Club. 

These groups include Sierra Club and Earthjustice who say Illinois is among thirty-nine states that failed to submit the most recent Regional Haze plans to the EPA by the July 31 deadline. 

A spokesperson for EPA declined comment, citing pending litigation. 

The EPA had until January 31, 2022 to issue a formal finding that these states have failed to submit the requisite Regional Haze state implementation plan (SIP), but the agency has not yet done so, according to the release.

The notice of intent to sue filed by the coalition of organizations asks the EPA to “fulfill its mandatory obligation established by Congress.”

“Analysis done by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) shows that the Prairie State coal plant is one of Illinois’ most significant contributors to regional haze pollution,” the release said. “While Illinois does not have any areas specifically protected under Regional Haze Rule, the state hosts several heavily polluting facilities that degrade air quality at dozens of our country’s national parks in neighboring states. The EPA must enforce the existing application deadline and insist that the Illinois EPA submit a state implementation plan (SIP) as soon as possible.”

Prairie State Coal Plant is in Washington County, Illinois, near Marissa. A bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last year called for the closure of the plant by 2045.

Until then, the bill calls for the plant to meet a declining emissions cap.

According to data provided by NPCA, Illinois has 18 industrial facilities potentially impacting visibility in 27 areas. These emissions are threatening visibility and air quality in National Parks.

“Air pollution remains one of the most serious problems facing national parks. It is threatening the health of park visitors, wildlife and neighboring communities, driving the climate crisis and compromising our views with hazy skies,” according to NPCA. “In fact, nearly 90 percent of our more than 400 national parks are plagued by haze pollution caused mostly by coal plants, vehicles and other industrial sources, as well as oil and gas development and operations.”

The majority of Illinois emissions, 64%, come from fossil fuel electric power generation, according to NPCA. 

Sierra Club Illinois’ director Jack Darin, said filing the intent to sue reinforces how critical Illinois’ efforts are to put the state on track to decarbonize its power and transportation sectors.

“Since Illinois is home to the Prairie State coal plant, one of the largest polluting coal plants in the nation, we need strong emissions reduction requirements for facilities like this not only for our climate but to protect our public lands under the Clean Air Act,” Darin said.