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After years of dangerous pollution from Ameren’s E.D. Edwards coal-fired power plant in Bartonville, Ill., local community members are not willing to let Texas-based energy giant Dynegy walk into town asking for a free pass to pollute their community.

A new air modeling study released by the Central Illinois Healthy Community Alliance found that the E.D. Edwards coal plant is allowed to emit toxic sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution at up to 7.5 times above the limit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says is required to protect public health.

Exposure to sulfur dioxide pollution for even five minutes can make it hard for a person to breathe and high levels of exposure to sulfur dioxide can send people to the emergency room

The decades-old, uncontrolled E.D. Edwards coal plant is part of Ameren’s no-cash sale of five Illinois coal plants to Dynegy. Peoria residents are extremely concerned that Dynegy lacks a plan to clean up the plant.

Dynegy, working locally as the unfunded Illinois Power Holdings subsidiary, has requested a variance from the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) to have until 2020 to comply with the Illinois State Multi-Pollutant Standard, a law established in 2006. The company is a willing buyer of Ameren’s coal plants, but falsely claims undue financial hardship as the reason it cannot comply with Illinois’ commonsense clean air standard. Dynegy is hinging the final sale agreement with Ameren on the IPCB’s variance decision.

Peoria residents know that they deserve more than Dynegy’s risky bet on coal in Illinois and years of more pollution. For the sake of Illinois’ future, Dynegy’s request for more time to pollute Illinois air must be denied.