Here's a link to an article by Jeff Biggers at Huffington Post on the effort of central Illinois environmentalists to hold Freemen United Coal Company accountable for violations of the Clean Water Act.
Grindstone Creek, a waterway near thestrip mine is polluted with mine waste.
According to the article, whether or not the company is responsible for the mess isn't in question. The Heart of Illinois Group Sierra Club asserts Freeman Coal's records show that its strip mine has broken the law hundreds of times in the last five years"
In an all-too-familiar pattern, those in government charged with ensuring that laws are enforced in order to protect the public and the environment turn a blind eye to gross violations. Instead members of the public are left on their own to hold offenders accountable, in this case through expensive law suits.
You can lend your support to this effort. Contact the following groups to learn more:
Sierra Club - Heart of Illinois Group
Prairie Rivers Network
Environmental Law and Policy Center
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