350 CHICAGO

Your bi-weekly newsletter for all things climate-related

May 13, 2021

Mayor Lightfoot Halts General Iron Move to the South Side

In a significant victory for Chicago environmental and social justice activists, Major Lightfoot has paused further review of the General Iron development application. The permit would have paved the way for General Iron to move from Lincoln Park to the far South Side, exacerbating industrial pollution problems that have plagued the community for decades. The decision came after pressure from local activists, hunger strikes, and a letter from EPA administrator Michael Regan, who expressed concern over the project’s impact on the largely Hispanic community.

Courtesy of Oscar Sanchez

"Since 2014, more than 75 facilities in the southeast area have been investigated by the U.S. EPA, Illinois EPA and the city for non-compliance with the Clean Air Act," Regan noted.

While the delay is pending a full environmental justice analysis by the EPA, long-term residents hope the next step is a full denial of the development permit. As the NRDC's Midwest outreach manager and Chicago resident Gina Ramirez expressed, “Today’s victory was hard won by Chicagoans who chose to fight for the health of their families and neighbors.”

Louisiana Seeks to Create a “Safe Haven” for Fossil Fuels

Louisiana State Representative Danny McCormick represents the northwest part of Louisiana, including the predominantly Black town of Shreveport, where residents inhale some of the most toxic air in the country. Virtually all of this pollution is due to the multiple petrochemical facilities in the vicinity.

Yet McCormick seeks to protect corporate interests instead of residents, pushing forward legislation to deregulate oil and gas companies. One bill by Rep. McCormick, HB 617, seeks to establish Louisiana as a “sanctuary state” from Biden’s restrictions on fossil fuels, which would essentially make it illegal for state or local employees to enforce federal laws and regulations if they negatively impacted petrochemical companies. Another bill also proposed by McCormick seeks to reclassify oil and gas pipelines from a mode of transport to “facilities,” which would prevent Louisiana from fining pipeline companies for failing to report gas leaks. Louisiana’s Democratic governor John Bel Edwards also voiced opposition to Biden's energy agenda in a letter to the president that repeated the fossil fuel lobby’s main talking points, according to the HuffPost.

As climate change gains national traction, Democrats and Republicans in support of the oil lobby across “Cancer Alley” will serve as obstacles toward implementing environmental protections on a federal level. (Read more at the Guardian.)

Call Your Legislators about the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA)

The Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) is crafted to simultaneously combat the climate crisis and expand the renewable energy sector in Illinois. CEJA will establish goals for 100% clean energy, provide equitable and inclusive economic opportunities to Illinoisans statewide, and deliver racial and environmental justice to communities affected by carbon-based pollution while retraining displaced workers in the fossil-fuel industry. You can find out more about CEJA’s benefits here.

1. Find your elected officials (State Senator and Representative) by entering your address here. (Your State Senator will be listed second, under “Senate District #...”, and your State Representative will be the third person listed, under “Representative District #...”)
2. Call their office numbers, which are listed with their information when you look them up. Tell them you’re a constituent calling in support of the Clean Energy Jobs Act (HB 804/SB 1718), and that you want them to do everything in their power to pass CEJA as soon as possible.
3. If you want, you can also look up ahead of time to see if your legislator is a co-sponsor. If they’re a co-sponsor, thank them! If they’re not yet, ask them to become a co-sponsor! (You can check whether they are one for the House here, and for the Senate here.)
4. One of the major components of CEJA is a goal to decarbonize the power sector by 2030. Achieving this goal is very important if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Please consider mentioning to your representatives that you support legislation that includes this decarbonization goal.

Upcoming 350 Chicago Meetings & Events

Please contact committee leads or [email protected] for assistance with remote meeting arrangements.

VIRTUAL June Monthly Meeting - MWRD

Saturday, June 5, 10:00 am CST

This month's speaker is Dean Alonistiotis, Chief of Staff to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD). Come learn more about the MWRD's efforts to recover water resources, manage stormwater, and clean wastewater.

350 Chicago Committees

350 Chicago Outreach Committee Meeting

Wednesday, May 19, 6:00pm CST

Interested in getting involved in coalition-building and other grassroots efforts? We will discuss outreach to ally organizations, grassroots tactics to promote the Clean Energy Jobs Act, and strategies for building support for our divestment campaign. Please join us via this meeting link!

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, this meeting will be hosted via Google Hangouts.

Contact Alex McLeese for meeting access information and/or if you have any questions or would like to join us via Google Meetings.

Editors’ Picks

A list of top picks from our editors...

Credit: Pat McDonogh/Courier Journal

"The EPA Proposes a Ban on HFC-23, the Most
Potent Greenhouse Gas among Hydrofluorocarbons, by October 2022"
The agency’s rulemaking would require the Chemours Louisville Works, the nation’s largest emitter of HFC-23, to speed up its voluntary abatement efforts.
Read article on Inside Climate News

"Pritzker Serves Up a Powerful Plan to Move Illinois toward
Greener Energy — But He Could Do More"
Illinois also still needs Exelon’s nuclear plants, which provide zero-carbon
power, while renewable energy is ramping up.
Read article on Chicago Sun-Times

"The Energy Gang"
Banking is the pressure point for climate.
Listen to episode on Podcast Addict

"Underground Coal Seams Can Spontaneously Combust
and Burn for Decades.
Here’s How Officials Keep Colorado’s 38 Fires under Control."
Coal seam fires are often an ordinary occurrence in Colorado and other mineral-rich western states, and more than three dozen coal fires burn deep
underground in abandoned Colorado mines.
Read article on CPR News