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"Our investment in mine safety measures has and will continue to
protect the men and women who put their lives on the line every day
in Illinois coal mines," Blagojevich said. "I'm proud of what we
have done here to make the industry safer as a whole and applaud the
efforts of the Illinois coal industry to be able to mark this
unprecedented milestone."
Blagojevich signed critical mine safety legislation last July
that will provide Illinois miners and rescuers with additional
safety measures in the event of an emergency. The governor
originally proposed the legislation in January 2006, following the
tragic West Virginia mine accidents that killed 12 miners.
Illinois coal miner safety is the top priority of the Office of
Mines and Minerals of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
State law requires that a mine be inspected once a month; however,
state mine inspectors often visit mining operations with more
frequency to ensure compliance. Routine inspections of coal mines
include checking for compliance with state mining laws, proper
ventilation and hazardous conditions; ensuring roof and rib control
procedures are being followed; and making sure miners are working
safely and properly.
"This is a great day for Illinois and the coal industry it
supports," said Sam Flood acting director of the Department of
Natural Resources. "I applaud the governor for his continued
commitment to Illinois coal and increased safety measures to protect
our miners."
"As the coal industry continues to make a comeback here in
Illinois, this milestone serves as testament to the hard work of so
many people to make an otherwise dangerous job as safe as it can
be," said Joe Angleton, director of the Illinois Office of Mines and
Minerals. "On-the-job injuries and accidents not only can lead to a
loss of life, but also a loss of production for the industry as a
whole. While the job remains dangerous, this milestone is proof that
mine safety continues to be a priority in Illinois."
In 2006, three new underground coal mines opened in the state --
further evidence that the coal industry is making a comeback in
Illinois. The industry began to decline in the 1990s, after tougher
federal sulfur emission standards were put in place. Since then,
advances in clean-coal technology have made it possible to burn
Illinois coal and still meet the strictest air-quality standards in
the nation.
Illinois now has the most aggressive package of incentives in the
nation to spur clean-coal-fueled power plant development and provide
other support for the Illinois coal industry. In July 2003,
Blagojevich signed a law that added $300 million in revenue bonds to
the Coal Revival Program, which provides major tax and financing
incentives to large clean-coal-fueled projects.
Since 2003, the state has invested $64.7 million in coal
development projects, including the Peabody Energy Electric Prairie
State project in Washington County and the Taylorville Energy
Center, a coal gasification project in Christian County. Also
included is more than $45 million in grants to Illinois coal
operators who upgrade their facilities to make their product more
competitive, as well as more than $11 million for advanced research
through the Illinois Clean Coal Institute.
Blagojevich also has led an effort with the Illinois
congressional delegation to tout Illinois' advantages as a site for
the U.S. Department of Energy's proposed FutureGen Project, which
will demonstrate making electric power and hydrogen fuel from coal
with near zero harmful emissions. The project site is expected to be
chosen within the next year.
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 In 1980, Illinois employed over 18,000 coal miners and produced
62.5 million tons of coal. Today, despite a 77 percent reduction in
work force and a 66 percent reduction in operating mines, Illinois
coal companies still produce 33 million tons of coal annually.
Over 50 percent of all electricity used in the United States
comes from coal, and Illinois' supply is among the most abundant in
the world.
Illinois has the largest reported bituminous coal resources of
any state in the United States. In terms of energy value, Illinois
coal has more Btu than the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
combined.
Text of the governor's proclamation:
WHEREAS, over 50
percent of all electricity used in the United States comes from
coal, and Illinois' coal supply is among the most abundant on the
planet. Currently, Illinois coal companies produce 33 million tons
of coal annually; and
WHEREAS, since the
beginning of this administration, Illinois has invested $64.7
million in coal development projects, including more than $45
million in grants to Illinois coal operators who upgrade their
facilities to make their product more competitive, as well as more
than $11 million for advanced research through the Illinois Clean
Coal Institute. Additionally, in 2003 I signed a law adding $300
million in revenue bonds to the Coal Revival Program, which provides
tax and financing incentives to large clean coal fueled projects;
and
WHEREAS, with the
coal industry being an integral part of our State's economy and
workforce, we must constantly remind ourselves of the dangers of
mining, and the need to take every necessary precaution to ensure
the safety of all mine workers. Unfortunately, tragic accidents do
sometimes occur, such as the Virginia mine disaster that killed 12
miners in January 2006; and
WHEREAS, following
this tragedy, I signed critical mine safety legislation into law,
providing Illinois miners and rescuers additional safety measures in
the event of an emergency; and
WHEREAS, April 15
of this year marks the fourth consecutive year Illinois coal mines
have gone without a fatality - a feat never before achieved in this
state. This impressive milestone is a testament to the success of
recent increases in safety measures, and greater awareness and
caution among mine workers; and
WHEREAS, the State
of Illinois salutes the Department of Natural Resources for all
their hard work in contributing to the safety of miners over the
past four years, and all the miners themselves for their attention
to critical safety measures and precautions:
THEREFORE, I, Rod
R. Blagojevich, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby
proclaim April 15, 2007 as MINE SAFETY DAY in Illinois in
recognition of four consecutive years of safe and fatality-free
mining in this state.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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