This month, ELPC announced a breakthrough with Consumers Energy to redevelop the Daniel E. Karn retired coal plant site by Saginaw Bay, Michigan. This exciting greenway plan will restore public access to the Saginaw Bay and River waterfront that have been behind the plant’s fences for decades, opening opportunities for recreational use, conservation, and public enjoyment.
Consumers Energy will also be developing 85 megawatts of solar on the site that is already hard-wired into the electricity grid. ELPC’s Power Plants to Parklands + Renewable Energy (P2P + RE) initiative is setting an innovative precedent to be replicated in transforming retired coal plant sites across the Midwest.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s misguided Sackett decision curtailed federal jurisdiction to protect wetlands under the federal Clean Water Act, it fell to the states to protect wetlands. Unfortunately, Illinois does not have a standalone state wetlands program and has already lost 90% of the state’s wetlands since the 1800s. ELPC and 40 groups called on Governor JB Pritzker to protect wetlands.
The Swampbuster provision of the 1985 Farm Bill has protected wetlands in Iowa and nationwide for nearly four decades, but a misguided new lawsuit is seeking to gut these longstanding protections. ELPC is representing the Iowa Farmers Union as they join the Iowa Environmental Council, Dakota Rural Action, and Food & Water Watch to intervene.
After the Biden administration directed the Forest Service to develop policies protecting mature and old-growth forests, the agency crafted a new amendment, but it includes numerous failures and loopholes. ELPC has been active in the Climate Forests coalition which submitted over a million public comments calling for stronger protections for our most valuable older trees.
Chicago could lose its intercity bus station soon, which would kick riders to the curb and shrink service schedules. Bus service is a vital lifeline for many travelers, and Chicago’s station is a particularly important Midwest hub. ELPC joined a coalition calling for a long-term solution to save intercity bus service and protect riders.
Former Ohio Speaker of the House Larry Householder is back in the spotlight this month, trying to dodge his conviction for racketeering conspiracy related to House Bill 6, which gutted clean energy standards while bailing out coal and nuclear plants. He claims the First Amendment protects him from the bribery and political corruption charges he faces. ELPC collaborated with the Campaign Legal Center and the Brennan Center for Justice to file an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in response.
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.
