SOUTHERN ILLINOIS - One day after President George W. Bush made a renewed push in favor of the Clear Skies Act, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama held his opposition to the measure, saying it harms the environment and does little to help Illinois coal.

Obama, D-Chicago, made the statements after a keynote address at Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Agricultural Industry Day held Saturday on the campus farm.

The senator said Clear Skies' pronouncement as a tool of revitalization for the state's coal industry is deceptive, and he disagrees with those who say it will revive the ailing market in Southern Illinois.

"That was the way it was being marketed," Obama said. "If you can show me how this is going to benefit Illinois coal over Western coal, then it might be different."

Clear Skies, Obama contends, rolls back environmental standards on coal-fired power plants, particularly where mercury emissions are concerned. Given the fact that Illinois' main competitor in the industry, Western coal, already has much lower sulfur content, Obama said Clear Skies puts the state in danger of falling behind again in the long run for mercury rates.

"The only way we're going to make Illinois coal compete with Western coal is if we mandate better mercury rates," he said. "This (Clear Skies) was one of those things where there was a lot of hype in how it will benefit Southern Illinois, but the facts didn't support it."

The Clear Skies Act died in a Senate committee hearing last month, with Obama voting against the measure. It failed to move to the Senate floor with a 9-9 stalemate.

caleb.hale@thesouthern.com

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