Toxic coal ash remains threat to Middle Fork River in Vermilion Co.

(WAND) – The Middle Fork River in Vermilion County is the state's only National Scenic River. But the river remains threatened by toxic coal ash from the shuttered Vermilion Power Station.

For decades, the power station dumped coal ash, a by-product of the coal-burning process, in three pits in a floodplain near the Middle Fork River. Coal ash eventually began leaching into the pristine water.

Several years ago, Dynegy Midwest Generation agreed to remove the coal ash from the pits. It filed for a permit from the Illinois EPA four years ago, but the agency has not taken action to approve it.

The river's natural erosion has moved the riverbanks closer to the coal ash pits. Dynegy is now expected to reinforce the banks with rock and boulders.

Once the work to remove the coal ash is complete, it is expected to take a decade or more to complete.