ILLINOIS DECISION NOT TO BACK STATE EMISSION RULES OUTRAGES ACTIVISTS

Environmentalists say they are shocked and angered by an Illinois EPA (IEPA) report concluding it would be "irresponsible" to move forward with state-specific requirements for electric utilities to reduce emissions, particularly because top state officials have long criticized EPA's approach to regulating these emissions as far too weak. The three-year study, released Sept. 30, was widely expected to recommend stricter power plant rules, positioning Illinois to become the first Midwestern, coal-producing state to set utility emission standards that went beyond...