Holding Indiana Steel Mill Accountable for Lake Michigan Pollution
ELPC and our allies celebrated another milestone this month in our efforts to hold Cleveland-Cliffs accountable for its Burns Harbor, IN steel mill pollution. The mill, formerly owned by ArcelorMittal, notoriously killed 3,000 fish and shuttered beaches along the shores of Lake Michigan in 2019. In a new consent decree, filed April 21, the steel manufacturer will be required to upgrade operations and equipment to prevent future spills, improve public notification procedures, pay $3 million in civil penalties, and invest in environmentally beneficial projects that will benefit the wider community.
“This is a big victory for protecting Lake Michigan, safe clean water, and Northwest Indiana communities,” said Howard Learner, ELPC’s Executive Director. “We are heartened by this consent decree and we’re very hopeful that it will safeguard the extraordinary ecological treasure that is Lake Michigan from another toxic industrial spill,” said Jesse Kharbanda, Executive Director of the Hoosier Environmental Council.
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 CLEAN ENERGY
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ELPC convened a group of 108 farming, business, and environmental groups to call on Congress to fully fund the Rural Energy for America Program, which helps farms and rural small businesses adopt clean energy. Signatories included untraditional allies such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, Environmental Working Group, and many more.
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On April 20, ELPC and our allies reached a settlement agreement with Consumers Energy. Consumers agreed to meaningful clean energy and environmental justice commitments, including plans to retire all coal plants by 2025, invest in distributed energy resources like solar, and better engage with local communities about future energy decisions.
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 WILD & NATURAL PLACES
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Executive Director Howard Learner reflects on ELPC’s commitment to conservation across the Midwest, from the Great Lakes to the Northwoods and beyond.
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 CLEAN AIR
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ELPC is working with a new coalition to improve air quality near schools facing high traffic pollution risks in Chicago. A dense planting of trees, bushes, and other plants, known as a vegetative buffer, offers a potential catch-all solution to filter gases and soot pollution, in addition to other environmental and public health benefits. The team is planning to begin planting at a pilot school in the fall of 2022.
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 UPCOMING EVENTS
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ELPC Thinks Webinar:
The Current State of Great Lakes Water Levels
Monday, May 9
12:00pm CT / 1:00pm ET
REGISTER
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Virtual Film Screening:
Monty & Rose 2
Wednesday, May 18
6:00pm CT
REGISTER
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Join us at this year’s Great Lakes Economic Forum, as we tackle the most pressing socio-economic and environmental issues facing the Great Lakes region’s companies, policymakers, and communities.
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CONVERSATIONS WE'RE FOLLOWING
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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.
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