Op-Ed
April 22, 2025
Opinion: This Earth Day, Illinois must step up to protect our core environmental values
In a new Chicago Tribune Op-Ed, Howard Learner says local governments must step up to advance environmental progress while the federal government backpedals.
It’s clear on this Earth Day, that President Donald Trump’s administration is rapidly moving backward from protecting our core environmental values. So far, the federal courts are almost uniformly deciding that the Trump administration cannot ignore and must reasonably apply and enforce statutory and regulatory requirements. Trump must comply with the environmental laws as written. That is the most elementary principle of the rule of law.
No president can willy-nilly ignore statutory Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Great Lakes protection funding and policies.
What’s also clear is that Illinois, Chicago and other local governments must step up to advance environmental progress while the federal government is backpedaling and issuing misguided executive actions of dubious legal authority.
As the Trump administration sadly withdraws from its environmental protection responsibilities, here are six ways that Illinois and local leaders should step up and act.
Read the Chicago Tribune Opinion
Howard A. Learner,
Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director
Howard Learner is an experienced attorney serving as the Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. He is responsible for ELPC’s overall strategic leadership, policy direction, and financial platform.
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