Save the Date! ELPC 2012 Benefit Will Be Nov. 14th
This year's ELPC Benefit will be Nov. 14th in downtown Chicago. Read details here!
ELPC Ranked in Top 10 Highest-Rated Charities in U.S.
Based on ELPC’s Charity Navigator score on financial strength and management, ELPC is being recognized in the media as among “The 10 Highest-Rated Charities in America: 2011.” ELPC is the only environmental group and the only advocacy group on this list. Moreover, ELPC is the only listed group, which is located between the coasts. Read more on MSN Money and Main Street.
ELPC’s Chicago Eco-Office Receives LEED Platinum Certification
ELPC's new green office features natural daylighting, state-of-the-art HVAC controls, low-flow plumbing fixtures, ENERGY STAR appliances, and recycled and locally sourced materials. Learn about our new office.
Now that free residential recycling programs are in place for electronic products, Illinois will ban electronics from landfills beginning January 1st, 2012. Illinois’ electronic waste standard is one of the strongest in the nation, and requires manufacturers of electronics to provide free recycling options to Illinois consumers. As of January 1st, Illinois will officially ban electronic products from landfills and encourage consumers to take advantage of free recycling options.
Public Act 97-0287 bans 17 electronic products from landfills. The landfill ban includes: TVs, computers (including desktop, notebook, tablet), monitors, printers, computer peripherals, VCRs/DVD players, gaming systems, MP3 players, scanners, fax machines and small scale servers. These products contain toxic materials such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and beryllium that must be properly managed to prevent soil and groundwater contamination.
Illinois Senator Susan Garrett and Representative Daniel Biss sponsored the Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act that requires manufacturers to take responsibility for recycling obsolete residential electronic products. Obsolete electronic products also contain valuable materials that can be recycled for reuse such as copper, gold and circuit chips. The law requires electronics manufacturers to set up a take-back program for used electronics or partner with local recyclers to offer residents a free electronics recycling program at venues close to home.
“The residential electronic recycling program keeps toxic chemicals out of our soil and water, creates new jobs for the state’s recycling industry, and makes recycling easy for consumers without any additional costs,” said Melville Nickerson, Staff Attorney at ELPC, which advised on policy and built support for the legislation. “Illinois is one of 25 states that has passed legislation to solve the problem of discarded electronics, the fastest growing element of our country’s municipal waste stream.”
The Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act culminates years of work by Senator Garrett, Representative Dan Biss, ELPC and other business and environmental organizations to address the growing problem of obsolete electronics. According to the US EPA, Americans throw away 400 million electronic products each year.
Senators Sherrod Brown (OH), Dick Durbin (IL), Al Franken (MN), Tim Johnson (SD), Mark Kirk (IL), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Herb Kohl (WI), Carl Levin (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) stood up for clean air protections today and voted against an extraordinary resolution that would have blocked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from advancing standards to modernize coal plants and reduce dangerous pollution that drifts across state lines.
Midwest Democratic and Republican Senators were joined by a bipartisan majority of their colleagues in the vote to reject Senator Rand Paul’s S.J. Res. 27 by a vote of 56 to 41.
“We commend the Senators who voted today to protect public health, clean air and the Great Lakes from harmful pollution,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “It’s time for the owners of old, highly-polluting coal plants to invest in modern pollution control equipment. They should move to a level playing field with the companies that have already cleaned up their plants.”
The Cross State Air Pollution Standard will prevent up to 34,000 premature deaths, 400,000 asthma attacks, 15,000 heart attacks, and 19,000 hospital visits each year starting in 2014.
“Senators Brown, Durbin, Franken, Johnson , Kirk, Kohl, Levin and Stabenow recognized their constituents’ support for common-sense standards that will protect public health,” said Learner.
ELPC has launched a new project to tell the stories of polluted rivers and lakes in Indiana. Indiana’s weak state policies and lax enforcement have allowed the state’s rivers and lakes to become fouled by algae blooms, toxins, sedimentation and dangerous pathogens. Indiana is also home to pristine rivers and streams that attract visitors from across the region. ELPC worked with residents and water experts across the state to tell the changing story of rivers and lakes and their impact on people’s quality of life in Indiana.
“Clean rivers and safe water are fundamental to our quality of life,” said ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner. “Each time we turn on the tap, build a new home, swim, fish or canoe, clean water affects our lives.”
ELPC illustrates Indiana’s water pollution problems through the stories of Indiana natives like Scott Rodgers, a homeowner on the Geist Reservoir who’s working to prevent the dangerous algae blooms that threaten the reservoir where he boats, and Marjorie Vance, who is trying to prevent a factory farm from being built near her home. These stories, photos and videos are all available on the project website www.INourwater.org
The website gives the public the tools to tell their own stories about water pollution and take action to clean up waterways across the state.
ELPC is working to increase awareness of the pollution issues facing the state and engage the public in calling for solutions like statewide pollution limits for phosphorus and better water quality standards for factory farms.
Indiana’s Polluted Rivers and Lakes
· Geist Reservoir, Indianapolis
The reservoir that provides drinking water to Indianapolis residents also suffers from high levels of toxic cyanobacteria and huge, unsightly algae blooms. Phosphorus pollution from fertilizer, wastewater treatment, agriculture and other sources causes the algae blooms that plague many of Indiana’s waters. Scott Rodgers lives on the Geist Reservoir and is working with other homeowners, government officials and advocates to protect the water in his backyard.
· Turtle Creek Reservoir, Merom
Turtle Creek Reservoir is actually the cooling pond for Hoosier Energy’s Merom coal plant near the Wabash River. Turtle Creek was a popular spot for bass fishing in the 1990’s, but in recent years the population of bass and other game fish has plummeted. Turtle Creek receives runoff from a nearby coal ash landfill and wastewater from the coal plant’s cooling system. Coal ash and coal plant wastewater have created unsafe conditions in other Indiana waters.
· Rivers and Lakes in Kosciusko County
Manure from the 77 large livestock operations in Kosciusko County has damaged the area’s lakes and streams, including the Lake Wawasee, Lake Tippecanoe, Eel River and Yellow Creek. Before more factory farms are built in the area, residents like Marjorie Vance and Janet Ecklebarger think the state needs better safeguards to protect their lakes, streams and drinking water.
· Young’s Creek Watershed, Johnson County
Streams in Johnson County are stripped of trees and plants and dredged into ditches. This “ditching” is practiced throughout Indiana as a means to drain farm fields. But inappropriate ditching destroys natural habitat and increase sedimentation, erosion and chemical runoff downstream. Gary Moody is advocating for more public input and less destructive ditching practices.
Saugatuck residents, conservation, historical and civic organizations are declaring victory after Chief Judge Paul Maloney of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan declared illegal a proposed consent decree between developer Aubrey McClendon’s Singapore Dunes L.L.C. and the Saugatuck Township Board that would have allowed the developer to build a hotel, marina and condominiums on duneland on the shore of Lake Michigan.
The development is contrary to Saugatuck Township’s current zoning laws. McClendon sued Saugatuck Township over the zoning laws in federal court. On November 1st, the Court ruled that the proposed consent decree violated state law because it would have prevented the Township Board from ever modifying the zoning of McClendon’s property and created a remedy that exceeded the procedural harms alleged by the developer.
The Court’s decision holds that the proposed consent decree is illegal and “impermissibly ties the hands of future township boards.” The Township and McClendon can renegotiate, but any new settlement cannot sign away the ability of future Township Boards to zone and protect land within the community.
“Judge Maloney’s decision helps restore faith in the fairness of ‘the system’,” said Marcia Perry, Vice President of the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance (SDCA). “The hundreds of people who protested this unfair proposed consent agreement are justified by the Judge’s ruling.”
“This is a huge victory for the Saugatuck people and businesses who care about protecting our ‘pure Michigan’ landscape,” said SDCA President David Swan. “The Court’s decision affirms that the rule of law can trump the influence of a billionaire’s money and political clout.”
“As a resident of Saugatuck Township for over 35 years, I’m pleased to see that the Court has upheld our Township’s authority to make land use decisions,” said Sandra Randolph, Saugatuck Township resident and business owner. “I hope this will lead to a fair process that will better serve our community going forward.”
“The National Trust for Historic Preservation is delighted that Judge Maloney’s action has given the community another chance to protect the historic character and pristine natural beauty of the Saugatuck Dunes coastal area,” said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We also applaud the Court’s decision to require a public hearing prior to its review of any future consent decree incorporating development proposals for this fragile area. We continue to believe that over-scaled development would inflict irreparable harm on the Saugatuck Dunes coastal area and we will continue to work to encourage local community officials and the developer to find a solution that protects this unique and historic place.”
“The Court decided that the local government’s and Saugatuck communities’ authority to make land use and planning decisions can’t be bartered away,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center and lead counsel for the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance. “This is an important legal precedent for smart land use in the Saugatuck communities and across Western Michigan.”
The Environmental Law and Policy Center’s new study of Wisconsin’s solar and wind energy supply chain finds that 171 Wisconsin companies are part of the wind energy supply chain and 135 Wisconsin companies are part of the solar energy supply chain.
The solar and wind industries provide over 12,000 jobs in Wisconsin. This job growth has been supported for years by utility incentives and state policies like Wisconsin’s Renewable Portfolio Standard and Focus on Energy Program. However, Wisconsin’s recent political and policy shifts have undermined clean energy development and job creation.
“Wind and solar energy development have created new jobs and business growth that Wisconsin needs,” said ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner. “With over 250 local companies ready to grow, Wisconsin’s leaders should be looking for ways to advance public policies that encourage renewable energy development and progress in the state.”
ELPC surveyed businesses statewide to identify Wisconsin companies that are actively participating in the renewable energy supply chain. The list includes steelmakers, electrical component manufacturers, engineering firms and other longstanding businesses that are profiting from renewable energy development, as well as start-ups and small businesses developing cutting edge clean energy technology. For example:
Caleffi sells solar thermal systems and components from its Milwaukee office. “Solar is a real job creator in Wisconsin and across the United States and one of the biggest generators of growth for Caleffi,” said Rex Gillespie Caleffi’s Director of Marketing.
Oshkosh-based wind manufacturing company Renewegy builds and installs light commercial wind turbines. The company plans to add 50 new employees in the coming years. “Not only do we manufacture and employ workers here in Oshkosh, but 90 percent of our components are sourced from Midwestern partners,” said Dana Enz, Renewegy’s VP of Sales. “As we grow, they grow.”
Smart state and local policies can make a big difference in creating economic development and new jobs for the solar and wind sector. Helios recently opened Wisconsin’s first solar panel manufacturing plant in Milwaukee. Low-interest loans provided by the state and the City of Milwaukee convinced Helios to locate in Wisconsin. “The Midwest is getting close to becoming a real solar hotspot,” said Helios’ General Manager Brent Brucker. “A little more foresight on the part of a state legislatures and this region could really take off.”
As part of its effort to promote economic growth and environmental progress through clean energy development, ELPC has also completed wind and solar supply chain studies for Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio. Across these five states, ELPC has identified more than 1,000 clean energy businesses employing over 50,000 people.
New poll results show that in voters in every part of Chicago support efforts by the City to reduce pollution from the Fisk and Crawford coal plants. 72% of Chicago voters said they would support a plan that reduces soot pollution from the coal plants by 90% and carbon dioxide pollution by 50%. Even after hearing arguments in opposition to, and in favor of stricter pollution standards, 64% of respondents said they would support City efforts to reduce pollution from Fisk and Crawford.
“This poll shows that people all across our city want cleaner air,” said Kim Wasserman, Director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization. “Northsiders and southsiders, men and women, Latino, black and white voters all want the City to clean up or shut down the Fisk and Crawford coal plants.”
The poll found that voters in every part of the City want to reduce coal plant pollution, but support was particularly strong in Latino neighborhoods and the South Side. The Fisk coal plant is located in Pilsen and the Crawford coal plant is located in Little Village. Both plants are owned by Midwest Generation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Edison International.
“Pollution from Fisk and Crawford affects everyone in Chicago,” said Maria Torres, an Organizer with Pilsen Alliance. “People in Pilsen and Little Village have been fighting coal plant pollution for years, but it’s clear the rest of the city understands that their health is at risk too.”
In separate question, 56% of those surveyed said that protecting the environment is good for the economy. “Chicagoans understand that we don’t need to choose between clean air and economic growth,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “Reducing pollution will protect public health and make Chicago’s economy stronger.”
Researchers from the Clean Air Task Force found that pollution from Fisk and Crawford causes 42 premature deaths, 66 heart attacks and 720 asthma attacks each year. The National Research Council found that pollution from Fisk and Crawford costs the public over $120 million each year in health and related damages. One in four Chicagoans live within a three-mile radius of the smokestacks.
The poll was commissioned by ELPC and our allies in the Chicago Clean Power Coalition.
Ameren didn’t mention that they’d already announced plans to eliminate jobs at those plants in August 2009, years before the new EPA standards were even announced. In 2009, Ameren said changes in power markets and the economy were the cause. Ameren’s press release quotes CEO Chuck Naslund saying, “While we regret having to take this action, the challenges we face demand a new model for our merchant generation business. We must build a leaner, more streamlined organization that can more effectively compete in today’s difficult economy.”
Ameren now seeks to shift the blame to new EPA Clean Air Act standards. After making its rhetorical assault on the EPA’s clean air standards, Ameren then concedes that lower wholesale electricity prices in the Midwest Independent (Transmission) System Operator makes running and investing in the old plants less economically competitive.
“Ameren needs to play it straighter and quit blaming others for its own business decisions to shut down old coal plants instead of investing in modernizing them for a healthier future,” said ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner
These coal plants are among the nation’s oldest: the Meredosia plant began operations in 1948, and Hutsonville in 1953. In 2009, Ameren chose to lay off workers and to not invest in modern pollution control technology upgrades that would make their operations safer and healthier for people in Illinois, Missouri and the region. In 2006, Ameren agreed to settlement standards with the Illinois EPA and Illinois Pollution Control Board to either invest in modern pollution control equipment or shut down its coal plants in Illinois in the 2010 – 2017 timeframe.
“Come on, Ameren: It’s time to take responsibility for your own business decisions and stop blaming others,” said Learner.
Chicago – The Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) announced today that its office has been awarded LEED Platinum certification established by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute for its office. ELPC’s office is located in the “Old Jewelers Building,” a Historic Landmark in downtown Chicago. Platinum is the highest certification possible through LEED, the USGBC’s leading rating system for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
ELPC has the first LEED Platinum office in a Historic Landmark building in Chicago, creating a model they hope others will follow. “We’ve transformed space in a historic building into a cutting-edge green modern office with high environmental performance that makes economic sense.” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of ELPC. “With smart design, this downtown office space saves money with state-of-the-art energy efficiency technology, uses local, recycled materials, reduces waste and is an attractive, great place to work.”
“ELPC is showcasing modern green office design and technologies that can easily be replicated by businesses, law and consulting firms, governmental agencies and other conventional downtown office tenants in ways that are good for the environment, good for employee productivity and good for the bottom line,” said Learner. “By demonstrating how this can be done, ELPC is inspiring others, advancing policy and moving the market forward so that what’s cutting edge today will be commonplace tomorrow.”
ELPC’s new office preserves the building’s historic façade while maximizing the green features of the interior. Photo sensors control the LED and fluorescent lighting system to cut energy use in half, and maximize “daylighting” as interior windows and frosted glass spread natural light throughout the office. Electrical outlets, heating and cooling are all controlled with state-of the-art occupancy sensors that monitor CO2 to use power only where it’s needed, dramatically cutting utility bills and avoiding pollution.
During construction, ELPC diverted more than 75% of waste from landfills and used locally sourced, recycled and recyclable materials. Natural surfaces and finishes without toxic chemicals and VOCs improve the office’s air quality. A private shower encourages employees to bike to work, and solar panels on the building’s façade will directly supply the office with clean energy.
ELPC opened its first green office more than a decade ago and combined that example with advocacy to promote green building and enact green building policies in Illinois and around the region. The new green office is the latest effort by ELPC to create environmental progress and economic development together.
By employing innovative technology and forward-thinking design, the office creates a new green space in an old building. It’s a valuable example because in coming years the vast majority of building will occur as renovations of existing space, rather than new construction. “The real success of this project will come five years down the road when other offices around the region have followed this example,” said Learner.
“Building operations are nearly 40% of the solution to the global climate change challenge,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “While climate change is a global problem, innovative organizations like the Environmental Law & Policy Center are addressing it through local solutions.”
Support from 31 co-sponsors means progress for cleaner air in Chicago
Aldermen Danny Solis (20th Ward) and Joe Moore (49th Ward) announced today that 31 City Council members have signed on as co-sponsors of the Chicago Clean Power ordinance. Solis and Moore plan to reintroduce the ordinance at today’s City Council meeting. An ordinance requires 26 votes to become law.
ELPC has been working to pass the ordinance, which would drastically reduce pollution from the Fisk and Crawford coal plants. ELPC is part of a citywide grassroots coalition of over 60 community, health, labor and environmental groups. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel indicated strong support for the goals of the ordinance, stating that “Midwest Generation must clean up these two plants.”
The Clean Power Ordinance has steadily gained aldermanic co-sponsors since it was first introduced in April 2010. Despite this growing support, the measure was denied a formal hearing for over a year and ultimately was deferred to the new City Council and mayoral administration. The ordinance that Solis and Moore will introduce at today’s meeting is identical to the original measure.
The ordinance is directed at Chicago’s two remaining coal-fired power plants–Fisk and Crawford. The plants are owned by Midwest Generation, a subsidiary of the California-based Edison International. Researchers from the Clean Air Task Force found that pollution from Fisk and Crawford causes 42 premature deaths, 66 heart attacks and 720 asthma attacks each year. One in four Chicagoans live within a three-mile radius of the smokestacks.
“The coal burned at these plants is mined in Wyoming, the power is sold out of state, the profits go to a California company, and we in Chicago are left with one thing–the pollution,” said Aldermen Joe Moore. “This is the year Chicagoans will win the right to breathe clean air,” Moore added.
“There is no doubt that these coal power plants need to be cleaned up immediately to protect the fundamental health and safety of our communities. I am proud to have played a leading role in sponsoring the Clean Power Ordinance. I thank my 31 colleagues for joining me in support of this important ordinance.” said Alderman Danny Solis.
Since the ordinance was first introduced in April 2010, the Fisk and Crawford plants pumped over 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, 2,500 tons of nitrogen oxides and 4.6 million tons of carbon dioxide into Chicago’s air. According to the National Research Council, the pollution from Fisk and Crawford results in over $120 million a year in health-related costs.
“Air pollution from these plants takes a toll on everyone living around them, and it impacts kids, the elderly and people living with lung disease the most,” said Robert Cohen, MD. “The CDC recently announced that 1 in 6 black children has asthma–an astounding 50 percent increase of prevalence in the last decade. We cannot continue putting our children at risk because of these dirty, old coal plants.”
Midwest Generation has made no secret of its attempts to fight the Clean Power Ordinance. The company paid environmental consultants to challenge the health cost findings of the National Research Council, enlisted the help of 6 lobbyists and a public relations firm to influence members of the City Council. Midwest Generation generated $357 million in revenue in 2010 but has resisted installing additional pollution controls on its coal plants. According to its SEC filings, the company plans to defer decisions about installing pollution controls for the “maximum time available.”
The Chicago Clean Power Coalition, a grassroots campaign with no full-time staff, has gained the support of Aldermen and the public by relying on recent scientific research on the health damage caused by coal plant pollution and the personal experience of citizens who live near the plants.
ELPC Senior Attorney Rob Kelter
speaks at a press conference in Peoria, Ill.
Read coverage from the Champaign News Gazette
or view this video clip from
local NBC affiliate WEEK:
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) and the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) are marking the first day of summer by urging Illinois residents to take advantage of $170 million in new rebates and discounts on energy-efficient appliances that can help ease the pain of high summer electric bills. New energy efficiency programs in Illinois began this June, just in time to lower your high summer energy bills and help protect the environment.
“Energy efficiency means making your home more comfortable while lowering your bills,” said Rob Kelter, Senior Attorney for the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “When we save energy, we cut down on air pollution by burning less coal and natural gas.”
“We’ve known for a long time that making your home more energy efficient is not only good for the planet, but it’s great for your pocketbook,” said CUB Energy Attorney and Outreach Advocate Celia Christiansen. “These energy-saving programs can put an extra $100 or more in your pocket. It’s a win-win on savings and the environment and that’s why CUB and ELPC are teaming up to promote the programs.”
ELPC and CUB outlined four easy ways energy-efficiency programs can save Ameren customers $100 or more this year.
Replace Your Light Bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulbs. Don’t wait until your old bulbs burn out to start saving money. There are at least 15 light bulbs in most homes. Each CFL bulb can save about $7 a year, or $40 over the life of the bulb. Now customers can find CFLs for deep discounts, 35-66 percent, online or at stores. So it’s easy for everyone to make the switch and start saving money.
Get an AC Makeover. Replacing your old central air conditioning unit can save you up to $200 a year—utility programs provide rebates up to $600 for efficient central air conditioners and $35 for window air conditioners.
Recycle That Extra Fridge. Refrigerators use more energy than any other appliance except air conditioners. If you have an extra fridge or freezer running in your home, it’s costing you around $100 per year. Instead of spending $100 to run an extra fridge, Illinois utility companies will pay you $25-50 to pick up and recycle your old fridge.
Buy a Programmable Thermostat. ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostats are more accurate than non-digital thermostats and can help you maintain consistent comfort levels and save the average home $100 per year on electricity costs. Utility programs offer rebates on programmable thermostats
These programs are part of Illinois’ new efficiency standards, designed to reduce energy consumption in Illinois 25 percent by 2025. For details on these and other incentives, go to www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org, click on “Live Wire”
ELPC, CUB and other consumer advocates were instrumental in creating and designing these programs, which are projected to save Illinois consumers more than $200 million each year in lower energy bills. The incentives range from a $10 rebate on a smart power strip to a $300 rebate on a heat pump water heater.
