EPA Hearing May 

### 24, 2012 My Name is Randy Juras and I live at 

### 14351 South Oak Trail in Homer Glen, Illinois.
I appreciate the opportunityto speak today aboutthe EPA standards regarding
newfossil fuel fired electric power plants. As someone who cares about our environment, and actually lives close to pollution sources, I know what is at stake. Ialso know thatthis is one ofthe few opportunitiesthe average American will get tovoice their concerns and feelings. In my case, my elected representative, Judy Biggert, has not shared any ofthe same views I have on our environment. For her, the economic interests ofthe businesses in the district have always come first. She has put profits ahead ofthe environment every time. So this is the best chance I have of making mythoughts known in Washington.
In Homer Glen, the prevailing wind is from the west. Straight west from where I live, only about a mile ortwo, the Midwest Generation Will County Station is located. Looking south from 1351h streetjust overthe riveryou can clearly see the coal pile and the power plant. The plant itself is old, and therefore it has none of the scrubbers or otherair pollution reduction devices. While Midwest Generation has done afew things in the last few years, they were simplytoken fixes driven by lawsuits against them.
A spokesman forthe plant said thattheywere targeted unfairly. I have trouble with that statement. How can you be targeted unfairly for polluting? Iftoxic fumes, such as soot, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are coming from your plant and driftingover populated areas, why would you notexpect the residents to be upset? Do you honestlythink thatthese people are actually not concerned aboutthis condition?
But that is not all. Directly north ofthis coal burning power plant are aseries of refineries. Driving along NewAvenue you can literally smell the pollution. So along withthe toxic fumes comingfrom the Midwest Generation coal plant we have the refinery pollution as well.
Yet the story does notend here. At 

### 143'd and Lemont Road construction ofthe Heritage Crossing Industrial Park is underway. When completed, there will be 

### 228acres of Light industry and Distribution in operation. Tens ofthousands of diesel engine trucks will be going in and out ofthat industrial park each and every year. And the toxic fumes that pourfrom those engines will mixwith the already present pollution coming from the Midwest Generation coal fired power plant and those refineries.
Two coal fired power plants in Chicago are closing down. These two plants should have been shuttered years ago, butthat did not happen. For manyyears these plants operated very cheaply. Token fixes were added, but only afterthey were forced to do so. Which brings us tothis Hearing. Finally, the EPA has the opportunityto do something aboutthe largest source of pollution comingfrom generating electrical power. The EPA can dowhatthe electrical power generating industry is notwilling to do. Without setting up National Standards defining how much pollution is allowed, the industry simply will not police themselves. As history clearly shows, corporations are driven by profits. Ifthose proposed newfossil fuel power plants are not required, by law, to reduce the toxic pollutants they emit, they simply will not do it.
Ifanything, the EPA should have the ability to go back intothose old power plants and require them to clean uptheiroperations. As I have pointed out, these fossil fuel burning power plants are notthe only source of pollution. In wayto many cases they are part ofa complex situation which creates high concentrations of pollution in urban areas. We need to start taking the environment seriously.
Thank you for allowing me to speak.

Randy Juras