For Release: Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Contact: David Gillies: 202-225-5661

SHIMKUS & COSTELLO COMMEND PRAIRIE STATE

Washington County, IL - Congressmen John Shimkus (R, Illinois-19) and Jerry Costello (D, Illinois-12) wish to congratulate the Prairie State Energy Campus for obtaining a major approval from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).  EPA's Environmental Appeals Board affirmed Prairie State's air permits last week.

"Peabody Energy is the driving force behind Prairie State and are to be commended for continuing to move forward, now five years after first announcing this facility," Shimkus said.  "I know they are committed to utilizing Illinois coal, and they are proving that commitment at Prairie State and other Illinois mines."

"This permit approval is a big step forward for the future of Illinois coal," said Costello.  "If we are to break our dependence on foreign sources of oil, we have to maximize the potential of our domestic energy assets, and coal is our most abundant energy resource.  This project will show that we can burn Illinois coal cleanly, which is good for the environment and the economy."

Peabody celebrated the USEPA approval with an August 30 news conference on the Prairie State site in Washington County.  Both Congressmen sent representatives to that announcement, which featured other local elected officials.

Prairie State is a planned state-of-the-art electricity generation plant that will burn coal from a nearby underground mine.  A consortium of Midwest utilities have partnered with Peabody on the project.

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