Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy filed a lawsuit against Dynegy Midwest Generation, LLC (Dynegy) over the unlawful disposal of coal ash at the site of the former Vermilion Power Station, which led to groundwater pollution surrounding the coal power plant. Raoul and Lacy also filed a motion to enter an agreed interim order that requires Dynegy to, among other things, create a safety emergency response plan for the site. Raoul’s lawsuit is based on a referral from the IEPA. Dynegy owns the property in Oakwood, Illinois where the coal-fired Vermilion Power Station operated until November 2011. Dynegy’s operations involved burning coal to generate electricity. The process resulted in the generation of coal ash, which Dynegy dumped in man-made ponds at the site. Coal ash can contain a number of harmful byproducts that may adversely impact groundwater and the nearby Middle Fork of the Vermilion River, Illinois’ only national scenic river under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The river’s banks continue to steadily erode, and Raoul’s lawsuit alleges the proximity of the coal ash ponds in the flood plain further threatens the river’s well-being. Bureau Chief Stephen Sylvester and Senior Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Pamenter are handling the case for Raoul’s Environmental Enforcement Division.