RECEIVED

H

CLERK’S OFFICE

J~iL07

2000

STATE

OF

ILLINOIS

Pollution

Control Board

OFFICE

OF

THE

GOVERNOR

207

STATE

CAPITOL,

SPRINGFIELD,

ILLINOIS

62706

GEORGE

H.

RYAN

GOVERNOR

July 6,

2000

Claire

Manning

Chairman

Illinois Pollution Control Board

600 South

Second

Floor 4,

Suite 402

Springfield,

Illinois

Dear Chairman Manning:

I have recently received a great deal ofpublic

comment over potential

environmental

threats caused by

the recent proliferation in Illinois of new, natural gas-fired, peak-load

electrical power generating facilities,

known as

“peaker plants.”

The Illinois

Environmental

Protection Agency currently reviews proposed peaker plants for compliance with Federal air

emission requirements.

In response to a recent inquiry, the United

States Environmental

Protection Agency confirmed that Illinois

EPA is applying

those requirements appropriately.

Given the public interest in peaker plants, however, I also

believe it would

be beneficial for the

Illinois Pollution

Control Board to conduct inquiry hearings on the issue,

pursuant to the

Board’s authority under the Illinois

Environmental Protection Act and regulations

promulgated

thereunder.

Accordingly,

I request that the Board hold public hearings and request public

comment on the following issues:

1.

Do peaker plants need to

be regulated more strictly than Illinois’

current air quality

statutes

and regulations provide?

2.

Do peaker plants pose a unique threat, or a greater

threat than other types of State-

regulated facilities,

with respect to

air pollution,

noise pollution, or groundwater or

surface water pollution?

3.

Should new or expanding peaker plants be subject to siting requirements beyond

applicable

local zoning requirements?

---

4.

If the Board determines that peaker plants should

be more strictly regulated or

restricted,

should additional regulations or restrictions apply to currently permitted

facilities or only to new facilities and expansions?

5.

How do

other states regulate or restrict peaker plants?

I

have

asked

the

Directors

of

the

Illinois

Department

of

Natural

Resources,

Illinois

Department

of

Commerce

&

Community

Affairs

and

the

Illinois

Department

of

Nuclear

Safety,

and

the

Chairman of the Illinois

Commerce

Commission,

to

have

members

of their

respective staffs appear before the Board and participate in these proceedings to help develop a

complete record.

Illinois

EPA Director Tom Skinner

stands

ready to have his

staff appear and

participate as well.

At the conclusion of the Board’s proceedings,

I ask that the Board issue

a written decision,

available

to

the

public,

in

which

the

Board

makes

its

findings,

based

on

the

evidence

and

public

comment received. I ask that the Board’s

decision include

the Board’s recommendation

on whether

any

additional

requirements

should

be

imposed

on

peaker plants

to

safeguard the

environment

and,

if

so,

whether

future

rulemaking

or

legislative

action

is

appropriate

to

accomplish that objective.

,,~erely,~

GEORGE H.

RYAN

Governor

cc:

Thomas V. Skinner

Director, Illinois

Environmental Protection Agency

GHRIrc