Abandoned IL coal mines pose health, environmental complications

Excerpt: New legislation in Congress would hold coal producers accountable for cleaning up the mine sites they have abandoned, including tens of thousands of acres in Illinois. Amanda Pankau, director of energy and community resiliency for the Prairie Rivers Network, said too few have done so. "There's an estimated 32,500 acres of coal mines in Illinois that require cleanup and only 6,600 of those are partially reclaimed," Pankau reported. "We're talking about coal mines that were mined after 1977, where there should be a coal company responsible for the cleanup." Article by Terri Dee for WSIU Public Broadcasting