Environmental Law & Policy Center

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's support of our federal lawsuit representing Southeast Side Chicago environmental justice communities reflects the obvious—toxic waste dredge dumps don’t belong in their neighborhoods or on the shores of Lake Michigan.   Thank you to AG Kwame Raoul for stepping up to protect EJ communities in SE Chicago by supporting our lawsuit representing Alliance of the Southeast (ASE) and Friends of the Parks to stop the US Army Corps’ plans for a toxic waste dredge dump on our lakeshore.

Thanks to the cleveland.com editorial board for weighing in on House Bill 79, which would allow Ohio utilities to offer energy efficiency programs.    When utilities run these programs, all customers benefit. Energy efficiency programs drive down the market price for electricity that everyone pays. It is the quickest, and cheapest way to conserve energy, reduce pollution, and save people money.

“The Midwest and the West diverge widely in terms of their climates, histories, and remaining forests. We need the U.S. Forest Service to recognize and account for those differences in their actions and policies,” said ELPC Senior Policy Advocate Andy Olsen.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) offers dedicated lanes, bright and inviting stations, express service, and level boarding. It can be built out more quickly and affordably than traditional rail and can have a big impact on reducing carbon emissions. The Midwest is home to many BRT systems – including Cleveland (OH), Grand Rapids (MI), Columbus (OH), Gary (IN), Indianapolis (IN), Kansas City (MO), Milwaukee (WI), and Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN). As Chicago considers a new Bus Rapid Transit corridor on Western Avenue, let's look at how other cities benefited from this innovative approach to transportation.

State Senators will return later this year and could discuss House Bill 79, which lets utility companies offer energy-efficient programs for residential customers that would help Ohioans save money on their utility bills. ELPC Senior Attorney Robert Kelter spoke with Spectrum News on the legislation. “HB 79 helps people get discounts and rebates on appliances, smart thermostats, and weatherization for their homes. But, by reducing energy usage from the customers who participate in the programs – everybody will pay lower rates because we will need less power at peak times.” #EnergyEfficiency #CleanEnergy

Today, a coalition of environmental, conservation, and advocacy groups celebrated the announcement that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and US Army Corps of Engineers signed a historic Project Partnership Agreement to begin construction on the Brandon Road Project to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. We at ELPC – and thousands of businesses that rely on the #GreatLakes for their livelihoods – are grateful to the Governors and their respective staff for reaching this historic agreement.

The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial is right on target: "Supreme Court's power grab puts ordinary Americans at risk in countless ways." However, ELPC and other public interest attorneys will be working to make some lemonade out of lemons. Let's recognize that this new Supreme Court decision is, indeed, lemons. Read ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner's blog for more on the recent decision from SCOTUS.

ELPC and Michigan Climate Action Network filed a brief asking the Michigan Court of Appeals to reverse the Michigan Public Service Commission's flawed order approving a permit for Enbridge to build its “Line 5” oil pipeline tunnel in the lakebed of the Straits of Mackinac. "Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline is too dangerous to run though the Straits of Mackinac where an oil spill would be catastrophic. The Commission failed to fully and fairly assess feasible alternatives to the Line 5 oil tunnel that would be better to avoid climate and environmental risks, and could be more cost-effective,” said ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner.

Energy efficiency has taken on new urgency in the wake of extreme heat warnings and concerns about energy capacity shortages. As a result, the passage of HB 79 couldn't be more timely. Today, House Bill 79 passed on the floor of the Ohio House of Representatives. The bipartisan, voluntary #EnergyEfficiency bill allows Ohio's utilities to run programs that will reduce demand and support grid reliability. On to the Senate!

As ELPC Deputy Director Kevin Brubaker told the Chicago Tribune: "The best way to address #transportation emissions is to get people out of cars and onto buses and trains. Public transit is already running, so eliminating a trip by car immediately lowers #emissions. More transit ridership also makes living in dense areas possible, which can limit emissions even more... Drugstores and grocery stores can be within walking distance, homes can be smaller, and any heat leaking out of a condo can go to a neighbor’s unit in the same building instead of dissipating outside a single-family home. Living in that type of downtown environment is most feasible when transit is available to make ends meet for the trips that aren’t walkable, or for those unable to bike."