Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

46,000 gallons of toxic foam pumped into burning coal mine

Wednesday, Oct 6, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* If nothing else, you should read all of this Michael Hawthorne story for a glimpse at how the IEPA is so regularly worthless…

Operators of a southern Illinois coal mine dumped toxic foam deep underground in an unsuccessful attempt to extinguish a fire that idled production last month, according to documents obtained by the Chicago Tribune.

The type of foam used by St. Louis-based Foresight Energy is being phased out in Illinois and 11 other states under laws that for the first time restrict unregulated chemicals known as PFAS — shorthand for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

PFAS are a growing concern worldwide because they remain in the environment forever, linger in the blood of exposed people for years and trigger several health problems, including cancer, liver damage and decreased fertility.

One of Foresight’s lawyers told state officials the foam used at the Sugar Camp complex was biodegradable and would not harm fish or wildlife. But inspectors later determined the company had pumped more than 46,000 gallons of PFAS-laden foam into the mine, raising the possibility that nearby private wells and other sources of drinking water could be contaminated.

Company officials also hired contractors to drill boreholes into the mine without a permit, records show. One of the boreholes is close to a creek where testing this month by the Illinois Environmental Protection detected high levels of PFAS. […]

Nearly all of Foresight’s coal is shipped to other states and countries. The company cuts costs by relying on longwall mining, a process that uses robotic equipment rather than people to do most of the work.

…Adding… IEPA…

Illinois EPA received an incident report from the National Response Center on September 1, 2021, that firefighting foam possibly containing PFAS was seen in surface water in an unnamed creek near the mine. On that day, the Illinois EPA began an investigation which included onsite inspection and collection of samples. Following the receipt of sample results, the Illinois EPA initiated an enforcement action against Foresight Energy.

The Illinois EPA has no role or authority to dictate how a fire, either above or below ground, is to be handled, including what type of firefighting tools or materials are used in the process. Banning specific tools or materials would need to be done via state or federal law. While there is currently no prohibition in Illinois on the use of aqueous firefighting foam (AFFF) containing per-and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) in emergency incidents, the Illinois EPA has serious concerns about the potential for environmental and health impacts and is taking a number of steps to address this emerging contaminant. This includes working with the Office of the State Fire Marshal and Illinois Fire Chiefs Association to develop a fact sheet for first responders, finalizing a statewide sampling exercise of all 1,749 community water supplies in Illinois to determine PFAS levels, and working to propose statewide standards for PFAS in drinking water and groundwater. The promulgation of water quality standards and drinking water standards for PFAS will place Illinois in a small number of states nationwide that have taken action on their own to further oversight and enforcement of PFAS.

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Griffin’s beef is with the mayor

Wednesday, Oct 6, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I got the same information from the Griffin team yesterday…

SPEAKING OF KEN GRIFFIN: His team is doubling down on how he remembers a phone call with Pritzker and other civic leaders talking about violence in the city. Griffin acknowledges Pritzker deployed the National Guard in June 2020 to address violence, but the Citadel CEO called for it again in August 2020 during a phone call with the governor and other civic leaders as crime persisted.

Griffin said Pritzker responded: “It won’t look good for there to be men and women on Michigan Avenue with assault weapons.” The governor’s chief of staff pushed back Monday, saying she was on the call that day and Pritzker “never said that.”

Pritzker’s team does acknowledge that there was a conversation that day about the National Guard, though the exact wording is fuzzy. According to a spokeswoman, the governor reiterated that it’s not his decision alone to call up the Guard — that local officials (the mayor) are part of the decision-making, too.

We put out queries to the other executives on the line — Ariel Investments’ Mellody Hobson, Grosvenor’s Michael Sacks, Cleveland Avenue’s Don Thompson, Motorola’s Greg Brown, UL’s Jennifer Scanlon, Hyatt Corp.’s Mark Hoplamazian, and Pritzker Organization’s Tom Pritzker — and heard only crickets. No one wants to get in between (or sideways with) two billionaires it seems.

I don’t think any Illinois governor has ever called out the National Guard over the opposition of a local mayor. Rod Blagojevich threatened to do it, then backed off. (I’d also point out that those who most often want the National Guard called out are, like Rod, usually just looking for cheap and easy media coverage.)

* Here’s a big reason why governors don’t do that…

“When we don’t hear of the need in the city even though we are offering it, then we don’t provide it,” Pritzker said. “You can’t just march people in without coordinating with the Chicago Police Department.”

Exactly. And the mayor controls the CPD.

I told you yesterday that Griffin’s rant was aimed at 2022. This is just more proof. If he was serious about the issue, he’d have publicly spoken up against the mayor last summer.

* More from the Tribune…

During Rauner’s single term, funding for violence prevention programs and other social services was cut off as the state went more than two years without a complete budget amid a standoff with the Democratic-controlled legislature over the governor’s pro-business, union-weakening agenda.

“I am very focused on the safety and security of the city of Chicago, the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “I’ve increased significantly the resources, trying to build back from what Bruce Rauner did — with the support of Ken Griffin — to our state by increasing dollars to violence interruption, violence prevention programs, by investing in our communities.”

Still, Pritzker said, “we are nearly at a state of emergency in our need to address crime.”

“We are very concerned about it at the state level and providing resources at a local level, not just to Chicago but to Rockford and other places around the state,” Pritzker said. “But we need local leadership, including the corporate leadership, to step up and help our cities.”

…Adding… Just a reminder about how the Chicago news media generally rewards blatant publicity hounds who demand the National Guard be deployed…

It’s actually a sickness.

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Judge’s ruling prompts ISBE rule change

Wednesday, Oct 6, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* WICS…

The Illinois State Board of Education has quietly changed its process for enforcing the governor’s mask mandate.

As of October 1, non-public schools have a probationary period to regain their recognition if they are noncompliant, as opposed to losing it immediately.

ISBE stated this change on their website, and when we inquired, they told us the goal was to make the enforcement process more equal for public and private schools.

Previously, public districts were put on probation for noncompliance.

* This change was made after an unfavorable Parkview ruling…

Just days after an Illinois judge ruled in favor of a private suburban Christian school whose status was revoked for flouting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s school mask mandate, the State Board of Education this week changed course on a policy that had instantly labeled noncompliant private schools “nonrecognized,” while granting public schools defying the order a 60-day probation period. […]

Kendall County Judge Stephen Krentz last week ordered ISBE to temporarily reinstate Parkview Christian Academy in Yorkville, which is among the private schools that have recently lost their status and been deemed nonrecognized for refusing to comply with the governor’s school mask order.

In his ruling, Krentz targeted the state board’s separate standards, saying the “guidelines and procedures for recognizing nonpublic schools may necessarily be different than the guidelines for recognizing public schools, but they may not be more burdensome.”

The rules treated the recognition status of public and private schools differently long before COVID-19. Nobody really complained until now.

…Adding… The TRO is here.

* Related…

* Judge rules Vermilion County teachers, parents must follow state COVID-19 rules in schools

* Adams County court ruling keeps healthcare workers’ jobs in place pending vaccine lawsuit

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*** LIVE COVERAGE ***

Wednesday, Oct 6, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Follow along with ScribbleLive…

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*** UPDATED x1 *** Campaign roundup: Bailey has early lead; Sullivan launches TV ads; Pathetic DGA videos; Unclear on the concept

Tuesday, Oct 5, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

A new Illinois survey of likely 2022 GOP Primary election voters was released today. This Illinois GOP Gubernatorial primary survey measures President Trump’s approval and breaks down voters’ preference in the 2022 primary election. Ogden and Fry, a nationally recognized polling firm, conducted the poll from October 3-4, on behalf of the Northwest Side GOP Club — a Chicago based Republican umbrella organization.

President Trump’s approval rating remains strong. The results showed that 86.6% of voters approve of President Trump, 13.4% disapprove.

On the second question, voters were asked their preferred candidate in the Illinois Republican Primary for Governor. The results showed that State Senator Darren Bailey, who sued Governor Pritzker over unilateral lockdowns last year, has a commanding lead with 33.3% followed by Jesse Sulllivan at 6.2%, Gary Rabine at 5.2%, and Paul Schimpf at 3.0%.

Ogden and Fry conducted this survey of 400+ respondents from a random selection of likely 2022 GOP Primary election voters. The margin of error is +/- 4.98%.

With the usual caveats about O&F polls, here are some results…

* Meanwhile, Sullivan has launched an effort to catch up…

Political outsider and Republican candidate for governor of Illinois Jesse Sullivan released his first television campaign ad [Friday] morning. The ad will air statewide and is part of a six-figure buy, the latest piece of a comprehensive television, digital, and radio plan to get Sully’s message out and begin a conversation with Illinois voters about what’s at stake in this race to replace JB Pritzker, who has already spent millions on the air.

The $222,032 cable TV aspect of this buy runs from October 2 through November 5. That’s slightly less than the governor has been spending per week. Sullivan has the money to sustain this rate for quite a while.

* The spot…

* Sun-Times…

Former state Sen. Paul Schimpf of Waterloo, who is also vying to be the Republican nominee for governor, has welcomed Sullivan’s entry into the race, but on Friday, he took issue with his opponent’s ad.

“Jesse Sullivan is not a veteran, and a TV advertisement that implies he is does a disservice to the voters of Illinois, who deserve better,” Schimpf said in a statement.

Schimpf spent 20 years in the U.S. Marines, at one point serving as the nation’s top adviser to prosecutors trying Saddam Hussein.

Sullivan’s campaign said in response to Schimpf’s statement Sullivan is “proud of his service as an Army civilian. That service has only deepened his respect for veterans and first responders who keep us safe at home and abroad.”

* These DGA videos are just laughable. All press release, zero impact…

The DGA is launching a new video today that hits the crowded GOP gubernatorial field for their radical anti-choice records. Watch the video here.

Darren Bailey has said he wants to outlaw abortion, even in cases of rape and incest, and Jesse Sullivan agrees on a near-total ban on abortion. Gary Rabine is a self-described “big pro-lifer,” and Paul Schimpf voted against the IL state law protecting abortion access if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

That release was sent out four days ago and it has since garnered precisely 5 views as of this writing. Pathetic. Stop wasting my time with this nonsense.

* Indeed, this particular bit of silliness had far more impact than anything the DGA has done here so far…

Somehow Darren Bailey’s campaign has convinced hundreds of people on Facebook that their lack of a mult box somehow amounts to a larger media audience because of… mic flags? pic.twitter.com/vXm8y80npi

— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) October 1, 2021

In case you need it, a mult box definition is here.

*** UPDATE *** Nothing really new here…

Representative Adam Kinzinger, one of former President Donald Trump’s chief GOP antagonists and the only House Republican to vote last week for a “clean” debt limit increase, isn’t ruling out a bid for a Senate seat from Illinois or a campaign for governor.

Kinzinger, appearing Tuesday on Bloomberg Television’s “Balance of Power with David Westin,” said those potential alternatives are “not something I’m planning for at this moment.”

But he added, “I’m certainly not ruling it out,” noting that Democrats control the process of drawing new congressional lines in Illinois, with more details on that expected in the next week.

He said he’s putting what happens “in God’s hands,” adding, “I will not give up the fight for this country.”