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 opportunity to speak today about the EPA standards regarding 

new fossil 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. 

I also know that this is one of the few opportunities the average American will get 

to voice their concerns and feelings. In my case, my elected representative, Judy 

Biggert, has not shared any of the same views I have on our environment. For her, 

the economic interests of the businesses in the district have always come first. 

She has put profits ahead of the environment every time. So this is the best 

chance I have of making my thoughts known in Washington. 

In Homer Glen, the prevailing wind is from the west. Straight west from where I 

live, only about a mile or two, the Midwest Generation Will County Station is 

located. Looking south from 1351

h street just over the river you can clearly see the 

coal pile and the power plant. The plant itself is old, and therefore it has none of 

the scrubbers or other air pollution reduction devices. While Midwest Generation 

has done a few things in the last few years, they were simply token fixes driven by 

law suits against them. 

A spokesman for the plant said that they were targeted unfairly. I have trouble 

with that statement. How can you be targeted unfairly for polluting? If toxic 

fumes, such as soot, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are coming 

from your plant and drifting over populated areas, why would you not expect the 

residents to be upset? Do you honestly think that these people are actually not 

concerned about this condition? 

But that is not all. Directly north of this coal burning power plant are a series of 

refineries. Driving along New Avenue you can literally smell the pollution. So 

along with the toxic fumes coming from the Midwest Generation coal plant we 

have the refinery pollution as well. 

Yet the story does not end here. At 143'd and Lemont Road construction of the 

Heritage Crossing Industrial Park is underway. When completed, there will be 228 
acres of Light industry and Distribution in operation. Tens of thousands of diesel 

engine trucks will be going in and out of that industrial park each and every year. 

And the toxic fumes that pour from those engines will mix with 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, but that did not happen. For many years these 

plants operated very cheaply. Token fixes were added, but only after they were 

forced to do so. Which brings us to this Hearing. 

Finally, the EPA has the opportunity to do something about the largest source of 

pollution coming from generating electrical power. The EPA can do what the 

electrical power generating industry is not willing 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. If those proposed new fossil fuel power plants are not required, by law, to 

reduce the toxic pollutants they emit, they simply will not do it. 

If anything, the EPA should have the ability to go back into those old power plants 

and require them to clean up their operations. As I have pointed out, these fossil 

fuel burning power plants are not the only source of pollution. In way to many 

cases they are part of a 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