Heartland Coalfield Alliance: Central Illinois Coalfields Tour

Interested in learning first-hand about the true cost of coal in Illinois? Join citizen activists and water quality professionals from the Heartland Coalfield Alliance for a day-long tour of central Illinois’ coalfields.

Participants will meet in Springfield in the morning and depart as a group on a driving tour of historic and contemporary coal mining sites. The group will learn about the history of the Illinois’ coal industry and organized labor, visiting the small towns where some of the nation’s deadliest labor battles were fought, as well as the only union coal mine left in Illinois today.

From there, we will explore the impacts that the entire coal life cycle has on the lands, waters, health, and quality of life of central Illinois communities. Participants will see areas subsided from longwall mining, massive coal slurry and coal ash dumps, and get the chance to hear directly from local residents who are concerned about coal’s effects. This tour is intended for concerned Illinois residents who want to learn what they can do to promote a just transition from acoal economy to a sustainable economy in America’s heartland.

Read our flyer and be sure to check out the Heartland Coalfield Alliance website for more information.

Details

• Wear sturdy shoes for walking on (possibly muddy) dirt roads.
• Bring your own water, snacks and a bag lunch. We will stop for dinner as a group, participants will cover the cost individually (vegetarian options may be limited). There will be regular restroom stops.
• For participants who are traveling to Springfield by train, please email to reserve a spot for pick up and drop off at the Springfield Amtrak Station.

Tentative Itinerary

*March 26*

10:15 am:  Meet at Illinois Stewardship Alliance in Springfield Illinois for 
introduction to the day's events.

10:30 am: Depart Illinois Stewardship Alliance for Virden, IL.

11:15 am: First stop in Virden, Illinois site of one of the most deadly union
battles in US history, the 1898 Virden Massacre. Participants will discuss
the history of the coal industry and organized labor in Illinois.

11:50 am: Arrive at the Crown III Mine. Just south of Virden, between Girard
and Farmersville, the Springfield Coal Company's Crown III Mine is the only
union coal mine left in the state, employing approximately 200 miners. Crown
III also showcases the worst case scenario in terms of impacts on land and
water - the unlined surface impoundments are used to dump both toxic coal
slurry and coal ash, posing a major threat to the long term health of the
area.

1:10 pm: Arrive at surface facilities for Shay I mine south of Carlinville.
Participants will hear from local residents about the problems Shay I's
massive unlined coal slurry impoundments have caused for neighbors of the
mine. 

1:45 pm: Learning lunch at Shay I - we will eat as we visit areas that have
been longwall mined,causing major subsidence and drainage problems, 
depopulation, and also leading to the destruction and subsequent closure 
of several roads.

3:00 pm: Arrive Deer Run Mine outside Hillsboro Illinois. Participants will
receive a personal tour from members of the local group Citizens Against
Longwall Mining (CALM) about their struggle against the new Deer Run Mine.
The surface facilities are nearing completion on this new longwall mine
which will have coal slurry impoundments located within the city limits of
Hillsboro, and also cause major subsidence damage to agricultural land.

3:50 pm: Arrive at Ameren's Coffeen Power Plant and see the nearby coal ash
landfill and reprocessing sites. Participants will hear from local residents about 
these coal ash dumps have caused ground and surface water pollution.

4:45 pm: Dinner in Litchfield with CALM members. Tour participants will recap
the day and learn more about how they can get involved with ongoing efforts
to promote a just economic and environmental future for Illinois'
coalfields.

5:45pm: Leave for Springfield

6:45pm: Arrive Springfield in time for evening train to Chicago.

Event Sponsors

• Heartland Coalfield Alliance
• Citizens Against Longwall Mining
• Prairie Rivers Network
• Illinois Sierra Club