Last Week, members of the Chicago City Council, the ELPC and a coalition of over 30 business and community groups introduced a City ordinance that would significantly reduce soot and greenhouse gas pollution from Chicago’s coal plants. If passed, the ‘Clean Power Ordinance’ would make Chicago the first city in the nation to regulate pollution from coal plants.

Championed by Chicago Alderman Joe Moore, the ordinance is focused on improving air quality and reducing health complications thought to be related to the 2.8 million pounds of soot and 5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year that are emitted by the area’s coal plants.

Although this ordinance has the potential to make a huge positive impact on the quality of life enjoyed by many Chicagoans, many were unaware that this provision was being considered until the April 13th announcement.

Peter LeQuire, a resident of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood for almost eight years, says that he was surprised to hear that the city was taking such an aggressive stance toward air pollution.

“I’ve lived in two other major cities, London and Berlin, and based on my experience, I would rank Chicago higher in air quality than the former, but somewhat lower than the latter,” LeQuire said.

One the other hand, LeQuire was un-phased by the city’s decision to forge ahead with stricter air quality policies, without waiting for the federal climate bill. “As far as I can tell, the city has fairly broad legal regulatory authority within the city limits, where both plants are located,” he said.  “If Mayor Daley can shut down an airport by fiat overnight, I don’t know why the city wouldn’t be able to limit coal plant emissions.”

Interestingly, Daley and his administrative team have been reluctant to comment on whether they will support the ordinance. It is interesting to note that last year, a Chicago Tribune investigation found that Daley’s climate plan leaned heavily on buying carbon offsets; most of which funneled money to a wood-burning power plant in North Carolina and neglected renewable energy projects.

Specifically targeted by the ordinance are the area’s Fisk and Crawford coal plants, two of the largest in the country and responsible for the emission of coal soot and nearly 2 tons for each of Chicago’s 2.9 million residents. Chicago currently ranks second among U.S. cities adversely affected by power plant pollution.

The Fisk Power Plant in Pilsen was originally built in 1903 and its current generating station dates to 1959. The Crawford Power Plant, located in Little Village, was built in 1924. Its two generating stations date to 1958 and 1961. Both plants were built long before modern air quality regulations existed. Although they have seen improvements over the years, neither plant is making the best use of new technology to minimize air pollution, since both have been “grandfathered” under existing federal law.

The Chicago Clean Power Coalition (CCPC) claims that air pollutants emitted by the two plants each day include mercury, nitrogen oxides, greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide and particulates; all of which have been show to directly affect the health of city residents (PDF).

“The population densities surrounding the Fisk and Crawford power plants are higher than for any other power plants in the U.S.,” reports the CCPC. “The costs of their pollution are borne by all Chicago residents in the form of millions of dollars spent each year due to health care, absenteeism from work and school, as well as reduced productivity.”
Supporters of the Clean Power Ordinance maintain that it is consistent with the City’s newly approved Climate Action Plan and green jobs initiatives, which are designed to make Chicago ‘a green city of the future.’

If passed, restrictions on the emission of particulates and carbon will be phased in to allow adequate time for adaptation, should the mandated improvements require the reduction, retraining or reassignment of personnel.

The Fisk and Crawford plants would have one and two years, respectively, to phase in required pollution controls for particulate matter and up to three and four years, respectively, to reduce CO2 emissions.

Chicago-based Midwest Generation, which owns both of the plants in questions, told the Associated Press that the ordinance is unnecessary because it has reduced many emissions since buying the plants 10 years ago, and has plans to continue doing so.

“The proposed ordinance is a solution in search of a problem,” company spokesman Douglas McFarlan said in a written statement. “Not only is it unnecessary and misguided—it’s essentially intended to force the closure of two power plants that help maintain a reliable supply of electricity.”

Although the two plants supplied power to millions of Chicagoans for decades, they were eventually divested by Commonwealth Edison, reports ChicagoBusiness.com.

Chicagoans are encouraged to visit cleanpowerchicago.org to learn more and to ask their alderman to support the clean power ordinance.