Prairie Rivers Network

Thank you to everyone who spent their Saturday in Springfield urging our legislators to pass the POWER Act and hold data centers accountable!! Illinois can pass nation-leading legislation that protects our communities from data center harms. It’s time to #StandUpToBigTech!

Rallying with 600 fellow advocates from across Illinois at #POWERActLobbyDay!📣 We’re calling on lawmakers to urgently pass the POWER Act to stand UP to Big Tech and stand FOR our communities. #ClimateActionNow #POWERtothePeople @ILCleanJobs @ilenviro @PrairieRivers @cubillinois

PRN is in Springfield today for #POWERActLobbyDay! Illinois must pass nation-leading legislation that protects our water, our power, and our communities from data center harms. We’re calling on lawmakers to pass the POWER Act!⚡️ #POWERtothePeople  @ilenviro @ILCleanJobs

Headed to Springfield this morning for #POWERActLobbyDay! 📣 I’m joining advocates from across IL to urge lawmakers to pass the POWER Act to hold data centers accountable and protect our water, power, and communities. @ilenviro @ILCleanJobs @PrairieRivers @cubillinois

There’s still time to take action! Tell US EPA people must come before the profits of large corporations. Learn how in our recent blog post co-authored by Earthjustice! prairierivers.org/uncategorized/…

These changes would weaken oversight, delay cleanup requirements, and allow coal ash—a byproduct of burning coal that contains arsenic, boron, mercury, radium, and many more chemicals tied to complications like cancer, heart disease, and brain damage—to leach into groundwater.

The US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing dangerous rollbacks to federal coal ash protections, putting communities and groundwater at risk of toxic pollution.

This research shows it is increasingly obvious that current practices for large-scale chemical application are not preventing drift exposures to public spaces that we hold near and dear. Read the press release and report here: prairierivers.org/front-page/202…

296 detections of 18 different pesticides occurred between all 10 sites during the growing season—200 were estimated to be independent exposure events. The most frequently detected pesticide being 2-4D—which is considered a possible carcinogen by the @IARCWHO

Pesticide Drift in Public Spaces builds on the groundbreaking herbicide drift report, Hidden in Plain Sight, released in 2024. This new research zeros in on the presence and frequency of pesticide drift in outdoor public spaces—including schools, parks, and playgrounds across IL.

Post-rally PRN team photo. 🩵💚🤎#EnvironmentalLobbyDay cc:@ilenviro

PRN with @AmmonsRep's office about some priorities: Passing the POWER Act, protecting IL wetlands, and passing the Notice of State Restricted Pesticide Application Act (HB1596) cc: @ilenviro #EnvironmentalLobbyDay #ProtectILWetlands #POWERtothePeople

The rally in the rotunda has begun! cc: @ilenviro #EnvironmentalLobbyDay

Checked in with @RepSchweizer & talked about supporting HB1596 and the POWER Act, passing legislation to protect our wetlands, & banning polystyrene foam foodware. Thanks, Rep. Schweizer! cc: @ilenviro #EnvironmentalLobbyDay #ProtectILWetlands #POWERtothePeople #DitchFoam

Our advocates are in Springfield to urge lawmakers to, among other legislation, pass the Wetlands Protection Act!🌊 Illinois needs strong protections for our wetlands to defend the remaining 10%. #ProtectILWetlands #DefendtheTen cc: @ilenviro

Fresh off the bus: PRN's Andrew Rehn and some U of I students at the Illinois State Capitol for #EnvironmentalLobbyDay

Read the full op-ed: chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/20…

While legislation has been introduced to address threats posed by data centers, Illinois communities still remain vulnerable to other high-capacity water users.  Water is precious. We must protect it.

Over 80% of Illinois is in drought, with parts of 19 Central Illinois counties now in D3–Extreme Drought—which the @NOAA defines as “major crop/pasture losses; extreme fire danger; widespread water shortages or restrictions.”