Knight Hawk Coal Co. Asks County for Permission to Bury Coal Waste
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ The Thursday meeting of the Perry County Board of Commissioners was largely dealt with a discussion regarding the burial of out-of-state coal combustion waste.
Robert Spencer and Martha Morgenstern presented a letter from Knight Hawk Coal Co. requesting a change in their agreement allowing them to bury coal combustion waste materials near Cutler off County Line Road. The proposal involves burying 46,000 tons of combustion waste in Knight Hawk box cuts--old coal diggings. The letter provides an analysis of the material from 2000 and 2008, showing a large difference in it's makeup. The waste, which is not overtly identified by name in the letter, contains mercury, arsenic and other hazardous materials that are potentially dangerous even in low doses.
The letter, however, states that everything meets state guidelines and is not hazardous. The guidelines require proper transportation of the material, sets a depth to be buried, and requires cover after buried. The current plan provides for a bottom sealant, with nothing on the sides, and no lining. Spencer and Morgenstern were concerned about the chemicals in the waste contaminating the ground water in the area. The council moved to place the agreement on public inspection and are to hold a public hearing for it.
Other items addressed on the agenda:
-- Passed a resolution approving the U. of I. Extension office 2009 budget.
-- Discussed a proposal by the sheriff's department to construct a sheriff's department maintenance building near the shooting range just off Rt. 13-127. It would allow a staff member already on the payroll to perform service work on cars at a savings to the county. The cost is $12,000, but there may be some grant money to offset the cost.
-- Approved a raffle licenses for the Pinckneyville Chamber of Commerce, Perry-Jackson Child Advocacy Center and the Perry County Soccer League.
-- County Clerk Kevin Kern also talked about items that will be on the ballots in November. One of the items is whether the State of Illinois should hold a Constitutional Convention.. In Tamaroa there will be an item concerning a non-home rule sales tax.. The Pinckneyville Community Hospital will place an advisory referendum on the ballot seeking support for the skilled care unit. Kern noted that since it was just an advisory referendum, the results hold no weight in any action being taken, and the board at the hospital has stated that they have taken no position on the referendum. It may all be a moot point since the unit is scheduled to close September 12, long before the November election.