YES. WE ARE COMMITTED TO
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY.
Prairie State’s BACT emissions equipment represents $1 billion of investment and the best emissions control available for a power plant today. The top four monitored air pollutants are nitrogen oxide (NOX), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate material (PM) and mercury. Prairie State’s emissions equipment removes 98 percent of NOX, more than 98 percent of SO2, more than 99 percent of PM and more than 95 percent of mercury, making Prairie State one of the cleanest power plants in operation today.
Additional Carbon Reduction
Prairie State and its owners, by investing in a mine-mouth power plant campus, stood firm in their commitment to environmental responsibility. Further demonstrating their environmental commitment, Prairie State is studying additional offset options to carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) reduction. Prairie State is working with industry partners to develop offset programs through possible native forestry establishment on its campus on currently underutilized land.
Managing Water
Prairie State’s campus uses water to run its power plant and many functions at its coal mine. In order to turn Prairie State’s power plant steam turbines, water is pumped into campus from the Kaskaskia River, a tributary of the Mississippi River on a daily basis. This water intake is permitted and monitored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, with both agencies requiring significant reporting requirements.
In addition to the required permitting submissions, Prairie State has constructed its overall campus to capture as much stormwater and runoff water as possible. The water that Prairie State captures is then treated