This year's wins across the Midwest
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** 30 Years of Protecting the Midwest Environment
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Building on decades of experience and deep roots in the region, ELPC’s public interest attorneys and policy experts have been hard at work across the Midwest this year. Here are some of the things we’ve been working on in 2023:
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** ELPC Receives American Bar Association’s Prestigious National 2023 Legal Award
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ELPC is honored to receive the American Bar Association’s national 2023 Award for Excellence in Environmental, Energy, and Resources Stewardship. This award recognizes the talented and effective ELPC public interest attorneys, who, working with our colleagues, clients, and community partners, have achieved ELPC’s many successes.
** 2023 Wrapped!
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** ADVANCING CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY
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** Cleaning Up Illinois Energy ([link removed])
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ELPC is deep in the “nuts and bolts” regulatory implementation work required to achieve Illinois’ goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040. We recently achieved wins in three gas rate cases and are actively fighting in two electric rate cases to ensure utilities spend wisely, reduce fossil fuels, and ramp up innovative technologies.
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** Advancing Grid Equity & Affordability ([link removed])
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As a founding member of Grid Equity Midwest, ELPC secured wins for Michigan and Minnesota communities this year that will mean more affordable energy, more renewables, and a commitment to energy justice.
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** Taking on Coal in Iowa ([link removed])
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ELPC argued before the Iowa Supreme Court and won, finding that regulators must include evidence from MidAmerican showing retiring coal plants is a cost-effective way to meet air pollution standards.
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** Reimagining Old Coal Sites in Michigan ([link removed])
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ELPC’s Power Plants to Parklands Project is finding innovative opportunities for shuttered coal plant sites, including new public natural spaces and renewable energy development.
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** PROTECTING THE GREAT LAKES & CLEAN WATER
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** Tackling Toxic Algae ([link removed])
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ELPC is fighting manure pollution across the Midwest. In Michigan, we’re presenting oral arguments to the state Supreme Court to reinstate strong standards and defend the state agency’s right to regulate pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations.
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** Cleaning Up Lake Erie ([link removed])
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In Ohio, our successful litigation to clean up Lake Erie took a big step forward requiring the state to create a cleanup plan. However, the plan is woefully inadequate to remediate the toxic algae outbreaks in Lake Erie. ELPC and the Lucas County Board are preparing a new lawsuit.
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** Holding Polluters Accountable in Northwest Indiana ([link removed])
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ELPC’s new Northwest Indiana Protector Project focuses on reducing air and water pollution from the area’s three large steel mills, BP oil refinery, chemical plants, and “waste-to-energy” facilities.
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** Stopping a Toxic Dredge Dump on Chicago’s Southeast Side ([link removed])
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ELPC is litigating on behalf of local groups to stop the U.S. Army Corps from expanding a toxic dredge dump on Lake Michigan’s shoreline in an Environmental Justice community.
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** ACCELERATING CLEAN TRANSPORTATION
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** Expanding Regional Passenger Rail & Improving Chicago’s Union Station ([link removed])
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This year, new railcars rolled out across the region, Illinois joined Michigan in providing 110mph service, and Chicago’s Union Station project won $93 million. Rail service between the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago will double soon, and another 21 Midwest corridors are being studied for expansion.
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** Rolling Out Electric School Buses ([link removed])
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Thanks to ELPC's advocacy, hundreds of Midwestern school districts are going green under the new federal Clean School Bus Program and additional low-income communities will be eligible for prioritization in the next round of funding.
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** PRESERVING WILD & NATURAL PLACES
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** Expanding Wilderness Areas ([link removed])
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ELPC built a coalition of more than 400 organizations, businesses, and community groups to expand the strongest federal Wilderness protections to areas in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and in Southern Illinois.
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** Protecting the Driftless Area ([link removed])
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ELPC is fighting the costly Cardinal-Hickory Creek high-voltage transmission line through the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Our work to reestablish the Driftless Area Landscape Conservation Initiative at USDA will conserve critical habitat and improve water quality.
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** And That's a Wrap!
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** We're all in to protect the Midwest's environment.
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Founded in 1993, the Environmental Law & Policy Center is the Midwest's leading environmental legal advocacy organization. We advocate, innovate, and litigate to protect the Midwest's environment from the Great Lakes to the Great Plains.
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