Why We’re Celebrating

A Cleaner Chicago River for the Future

ELPC’s and our allies’ persistent and effective advocacy to clean up the Chicago River achieved a stunning victory in late 2011: Chicago will soon disinfect the 1.2 billion gallons of wastewater that are dumped into the River each day. Future generations will look back on this victory as a time when Chicagoans finally moved forward to make their namesake river safer and cleaner.

What’s Next: ELPC and our colleagues must remain engaged to ensure the new disinfection policy is implemented fully and effectively.

Cleaner Air for Lakeside Communities

After more than a decade of intensive advocacy by ELPC and our many allies in the Chicago Clean Power Coalition, two of the oldest and dirtiest coal plants in the nation announced Feb. 29th they would close in 2012 and 2014. Six other coal plants on the shores of the Great Lakes have also announced closures in recent months. ELPC and colleagues throughout the region anticipate other closure announcements as public pressure mounts, stronger clean air standards are implemented, and more clean energy comes online.

What’s Next: After shutdown, these plant sites must be cleaned up and redeveloped into community assets.

Cleaner Water in Indiana and Iowa

Strong “anti-degradation” standards are an important but often ignored part of the Clean Water Act designed to keep unnecessary pollution out of clean waterways. ELPC is a leader working to design, advance and implement these standards throughout the region. In March 2012, Indiana adopted new standards and Iowa courts upheld the state’s good standards. ELPC’s tireless work to see these standards succeed is making a difference.

What’s Next: ELPC’s watchdog role helps ensure state agencies implement these standards effectively.

Faster, Cleaner Transportation Choices

Thousands of workers are setting new tracks and signals on corridors radiating out from Chicago to the Midwest’s major population centers. On Feb. 15th, the first high-speed train outside the Northeast United States departed Chicago’s Union Station at 7 a.m., traveling through Indiana and southwest Michigan to its destination in Kalamazoo, Mich. Kalamazoo is the halfway point on the Chicago-Detroit passenger rail corridor. Eventually, officials say the 5.5-hour trip will be trimmed to 3.75 hours.

What’s Next: ELPC continues advancing high-speed rail support in states that will come next, such as Iowa and Ohio.