Letters

Illinois Issues
welcomes letters from readers.

Illinois coal

EDITOR: Illinois Issues has provided a major public service with its series of articles on Illinois coal by James Krohe Jr. The series certainly should be required reading for anybody desiring insight into the complicated issues surrounding Illinois coal and its future.

I must emphasize that the Illinois coal industry does not agree with all of the conclusions reached by Mr. Krohe in his intensive analysis of the industry and the challenges facing it. But, of course, this was to be expected in view of the complexity of the subject. All in all, Illinois Issues merits commendation for an apparently unprecedented effort at shedding light on the myriad of crosscurrents governing the coal scene in this state. For the Illinois coal industry to move ahead and shoulder more of a load in meeting this nation's energy needs, greater public understanding of the situation is a requisite. To that end, Illinois Issues has contributed considerably.

Taylor Pensoneau
Vice President
Illinois Coal Association

Acid rain

EDITOR: Leafing desultorily through the July Illinois Issues the other day to sample what passes for slang at the Marble Orchard, I went on to read Julie Dutton's piece on acid rain. May I congratulate her on the way she executed this assignment?

Her treatment of the subject is a refreshingly far cry from the standard newspaper presentations of environmental problems premised on superficialities and sensationalism. To have so clearly and precisely indicated the dimensions of the acid rain threat and the steps being taken to minimize the danger is a great boon to this bewildered layman whose scientific I.Q. borders on the infinitesimal. I and others like me are in Miss Dutton's debt for the clarity of her article. I wish her the best in her work with the Illinois Legislative Council's science unit.

James T. Mooney
Springfield

December 1980/Illinois Issues/27