Victory! Settlement with Indiana Steel Mill will Protect Lake Michigan
ELPC and our allies have reached a consent decree 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.”
|
|
 CLEAN TRANSPORTATION
|
|
|
This month was full of ups and downs for Illinois transit. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) released a plan to fully electrify its bus fleet by 2040, but the Regional Transit Agency (RTA) dropped the ball on its long-range regional planning. We also called on Governor Pritzker to use federal funding for more sustainable transportation solutions like walking, biking, and transit instead of expanding highways.
|
|
|
 CLEAN ENERGY
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
 WATCH THIS
|
|
|
2022 is off to a great start! Please take a look at our new video update, which highlights three important victories in recent weeks.
|
|
|
 UPCOMING EVENTS
|
|
ELPC Thinks Webinar:
A Discussion with U.S. Senator
Tammy Duckworth
|
|
|
WE'RE HIRING
|
|
CONVERSATIONS WE'RE FOLLOWING
- Roll Call: Supreme Court Arguments have Big Climate Change Stakes
- Governing: Will Nuclear Plant Closure Risk Michigan’s Zero-Carbon Future?
- Bridge Magazine: Line 5's Impact on Climate Change Being Reviewed as Part of Tunnel Decision
- Belt Magazine: The Englewood Line – Not Just the Anti-606
- Chicago Tribune: Mayor Lightfoot Denies Permit to Southeast Side Scrap Shredder; Company Vows to Fight On, Saying Process ‘Hijacked’ by False Narratives
- Michigan Radio: Line 5’s Impact on Climate Change Being Reviewed as Part of Tunnel Decision
- Energy News: Illinois Muni and Co-op Members Want In on State’s Solar Boom
- Washington Post: Top Environmental Groups Call on Biden to Protect Mature Trees and Forests on Federal Lands from Logging
- Progressive Railroading: Amtrak Debuts New Locomotives on Chicago-Seattle Route
- Isthmus Op-Ed: 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.
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.
|
|
|
|
