March 2022 ENews Across the Midwest
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This Month Across the Midwest
** ►MARCH 2022 NEWSLETTER
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** Victory! Settlement with Indiana Steel Mill will Protect Lake Michigan
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ELPC and our allies have reached a consent decree ([link removed]) with the Cleveland-Cliffs steel mill in Burns Harbor, IN., that notoriously killed 3,000 fish and shuttered beaches along the shores of Lake Michigan in 2019. The mill will be required to pay $3 million in civil penalties, improve notification procedures, invest in environmental projects to benefit residents of the region, and upgrade operations to prevent future violations. This consent decree is a real substantive opportunity to prevent such a disaster from happening again.
“This consent decree demonstrates our ability to hold corporate polluters accountable for violating the environmental laws and permit requirements,” said Howard Learner, ELPC’s Executive Director. “We’re putting industrial polluters on notice that the waters of Northwest Indiana can’t be polluted without consequence. These accomplishments were achieved by the hard work of our ELPC legal team, including Rob Michaels, Kiana Courtney, and Jeff Hammons. Our engagement here shows the Clean Water Act’s citizen suit enforcement provision protects people and the environment.”
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** News and Updates
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** CLEAN TRANSPORTATION
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** Transportation Planning Must Take Climate Change Seriously ([link removed])
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This month was full of ups and downs for Illinois transit. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) released a plan to fully electrify ([link removed]) its bus fleet by 2040, but the Regional Transit Agency (RTA) dropped the ball on its long-range regional planning ([link removed]) . We also called on Governor Pritzker to use federal funding for more sustainable transportation solutions like walking, biking, and transit instead of expanding highways.
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** CLEAN ENERGY
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** Good News in Minnesota: Xcel Utility Required to Ramp up Renewable Energy ([link removed])
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The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved Xcel Energy’s 2020 Integrated Resource Plan which includes 2.5 gigawatts of new solar by 2030, rejects additional gas plants, and requires the establishment of a stakeholder group to address energy equity. This plan sets the new standard that other states will look to as the nation moves to renewable energy.
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** WATCH THIS
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** Watch Our 2022 Update Video ([link removed])
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2022 is off to a great start! Please take a look at our new video update, which highlights three important victories in recent weeks.
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** UPCOMING EVENTS
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** ELPC Thinks Webinar:
A Discussion with U.S. Senator
Tammy Duckworth
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Wednesday, April 6
12:00 pm CT
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** WE'RE HIRING
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Senior Litigation Attorney – Natural Resources Protection ([link removed])
Litigation Attorney – Clean Air & Water Enforcement ([link removed])
Litigation Attorney – Water Pollution, Agriculture ([link removed])
Associate Attorney ([link removed])
Foundation Grant Writer ([link removed])
Development Assistant ([link removed])
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** CONVERSATIONS WE'RE FOLLOWING
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* Roll Call ([link removed]) : Supreme Court Arguments have Big Climate Change Stakes
* Governing ([link removed]) : Will Nuclear Plant Closure Risk Michigan’s Zero-Carbon Future?
* Bridge Magazine ([link removed]) : Line 5's Impact on Climate Change Being Reviewed as Part of Tunnel Decision
* Belt Magazine ([link removed]) : The Englewood Line – Not Just the Anti-606
* Chicago Tribune ([link removed]) : Mayor Lightfoot Denies Permit to Southeast Side Scrap Shredder; Company Vows to Fight On, Saying Process ‘Hijacked’ by False Narratives
* Michigan Radio ([link removed]) : Line 5’s Impact on Climate Change Being Reviewed as Part of Tunnel Decision
* Energy News ([link removed]) : Illinois Muni and Co-op Members Want In on State’s Solar Boom
* Washington Post ([link removed]) : Top Environmental Groups Call on Biden to Protect Mature Trees and Forests on Federal Lands from Logging
* Progressive Railroading ([link removed]) : Amtrak Debuts New Locomotives on Chicago-Seattle Route
* Isthmus Op-Ed ([link removed]) : Dead Line?
ELPC is proud to once again receive a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. This is the seventh year in a row that ELPC has received this honor, a valuable mark of transparency and accountability.
** 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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