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This Month
Across the Midwest
September 2025 Newsletter
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Raising the Alarm to Stop the PERMIT Act and Protect Clean Water [[link removed]]
Congress is back in session this month and is expected to move forward the PERMIT Act, a dangerous bill that would undermine the Clean Water Act and make it easier to pollute the Great Lakes and waterways across the country. ELPC is raising the alarm in the Midwest, encouraging constituents to contact their lawmakers to vote against it.
Last week, ELPC and partners in Iowa delivered a letter signed by 14 organizations representing farmers, conservationists, watershed managers, and environmental advocates to all four members of Iowa’s House delegation: Rep. Ashley Hinson, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Rep. Zach Nunn, and Rep. Randy Feenstra. The message is urgent and clear: Iowa’s waters—and waters across the nation—cannot afford the damage the PERMIT Act would cause.
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[[link removed]] Climate Change [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] Abandoning Science, Endangering the Midwest [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] EPA is proposing to undo the “Endangerment Finding,” the scientific basis for key greenhouse gas regulations from motor vehicles and other sources. At a recent hearing, three ELPC staffers challenged the unlawful and misguided attempt to overturn this long-standing, science-backed finding.
[[link removed]] Clean Energy [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] Cutting Energy Waste in Ohio [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] In response to rising electricity prices and the impacts of new data centers, Ohio Representative Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) introduced a bill to create voluntary demand response programs that would lower energy costs for families and small businesses. These opt-in programs would help reduce electricity use at peak times, saving customers money and reducing stress on the electric grid.
[[link removed]] Clean Air [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] Unnecessary Coal Plant Gets Another Expensive Extension [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) renewed its “emergency” order keeping the J.H. Campbell coal plant running until late November. The unneeded plant in West Olive, Michigan was originally scheduled to retire in May until the Trump administration issued a 90-day delay that has cost over $50 million so far. This renewal of means Midwest ratepayers will continue to foot the bill well into November.
[[link removed]] Clean Water [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] Why Illinois’ Wetlands Matter [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] ELPC’s Executive Director Howard Learner published an opinion editorial in the Chicago Tribune about the importance of Illinois wetlands, which are vital for flood control, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Millions of acres of wetlands are vulnerable to destruction as the federal government is stepping back, so Illinois needs to step up to protect them with new legislation.
[[link removed]] Take Action [[link removed]]
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Take Action
Take action on the Roadless Rule: Tell the Forest Service to protect 45 million acres of forests by September 19th.
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ONE Earth: Young Filmmakers Contest
ELPC is proud to present the Environmental Activism Award to short film "Speed Bumps Ahead" at this year's One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest.
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* Michigan Advance: Environmental Groups Argue Consumers Energy’s Data Center Requirements Fail to Protect Consumers [[link removed]]
* Post Crescent Letters: Appleton Reader Checks on Status of President Trump’s Campaign Promises [[link removed]]
* E&E News: Former DOJ Lawyer Joins Environmental Group [[link removed]]
* Inside Climate News: The Battle Over Polluted Water Beneath an Iowa Coal Ash Landfill [[link removed]]
* ELPC Blog : Midwest Rail Ridership is Booming, but How Far Can It Grow? [[link removed]]
* Chicago Tribune: Grain Belt Express Pits Chicago Businessman, Politicians and Farmers in Power Line Battle [[link removed]]
* Iowa Capital Dispatch: USDA Restricts Funding for Wind and Solar Projects, Points to Protection of Prime Farmland [[link removed]]
* Chicago Tribune: Bacteria Closed Hundreds of Great Lakes Beaches in 2024. Here’s What You Need to Know Before Jumping into Lake Michigan [[link removed]]
* Inside Climate News: A Toxic Landfill Was on the Brink of Expanding. Residents Fought Back and Won [[link removed]]
* InsideEPA.com : Critics Blast ‘Egregious’ EPA Proposal to Reverse GHG Risk Finding [[link removed]]
* Inside Climate News: Utilities Want to Regain the Ability to Build Power Plants in PJM. Consumer Advocates Say That’s Probably a Bad Idea [[link removed]]
* Des Moines Register : Trump’s EPA Rescinds Impaired Listing for Des Moines, Raccoon Rivers Amidst Water Crisis [[link removed]]
* Michigan Advance: EGLE Mulls Additional Regulations for Large Scale Animal Feeding Operations in Michigan [[link removed]]
* Great Lakes Echo : Empowering Environmental Stewardship: Barn Sanctuary Champions Compassion and Conservation [[link removed]]
* Bridge Michigan: Michigan Regulators to Hear Arguments on Restricting Factory Farm Pollution [[link removed]]
* E&E News: Michigan Coal Plant Tests Trump’s Commitment to Fossil Energy [[link removed]]
* Des Moines Register : Northeast Iowa Landowner Who Sought to Gut Swampbuster Law Won’t Appeal Ruling Against Him [[link removed]]
* ELPC Blog: EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Rollbacks Ignore Its Own Findings [[link removed]]
* Capital B : EPA Rollbacks Leave Gary at Risk from Air Pollution and Steel Emissions [[link removed]]
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We're all in to protect the Midwest environment
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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ELPC
35 E Wacker Dr 1600
Chicago, IL 60601
United States
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