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elpcenter.bsky.social
We advocate, innovate, and litigate to protect the Midwest’s environment.
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This Wednesday! Come support frontline communities to stop sacrifice zones. #EJ leaders have fought for a cumulative impacts ordinance for years, let's help make it a reality. 📢 9am Wednesday 3/9/25 🌲 Wear green to rally! 🏛️ Outside Chicago City Hall, N LaSalle entrance

Urgent Action! Save #PublicTransit in Illinois Illinois deserves a world-class transit system that makes it safer, faster, and easier to get where you’re going. Fill out a witness slip tell your State Senator we need funding & reform. Here's how: elpc.org/blog/take-ac...

Tonight! Diesel pollution is choking communities across #Illinois. Join @ucsusa.bsky.social & LVEJO to learn about how cleaner vehicle standards could protect our air & improve #PublicHealth. 🗣️ Listen Lead Share Webinar on #AirPollution 🗓️ Thu Mar 6 🕕 6pm

ELPC enjoyed connecting with legislators & advocates at @allaboardohio.org's rail advocacy day! To ease congestion, open economic opportunities, & improve sustainable mobility, #PassengerRail is the best investment for an interconnected #Midwest. bsky.app/profile/alla...

The GLRI is essential to fighting against toxic algal blooms across the #GreatLakes region. #CleanWater #FederalFunding @elpcenter.bsky.social

I had the pleasure to present at Wild Things 2025 with colleagues from Environment Illinois and The Nature Conservancy! A great turnout to hear about Illinois Wetlands protection...and of course Mitch Williams got a shout-out.

“By announcing he wants to get rid of the EV tax credit President Trump is creating instability in the market and putting a big question mark over the growth in EV manufacturing & purchasing," warns ELPC's Howard Learner in the @dailyherald.com www.dailyherald.com/20250301/bus...

Check out our latest ELPC Thinks video: What's happening on environmental policy and regulation in Springfield and Washington DC? Take a look elpc.org/events/elpc-...

This week we're in DC for Great Lakes Day! Advocates from across the region will be meeting with their members of Congress to champion clean water and Great Lakes restoration. Learn more about our policy priorities: buff.ly/N9vuKsa #GreatLakes #CleanWater

Congress voted to repeal the Methane Waste Emissions Charge. Bad idea. Methane is 28x more potent than CO2. Keeping the methane fee ensures cleaner air/water & better public health outcomes in the Midwest. Oil & gas companies must be held accountable. Our statement: elpc.org/news/repeal-...

The Trump administration’s misguided proposal to repeal the Endangerment Finding is contrary to sound science, would violate federal statutes, and defies common sense. Read more from ELPC's CEO Howard Learner: t.co/rD9MK6jIoO

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's work is vitally important for the #Midwest, from predicting weather disasters to protecting the #GreatLakes. ELPC joined ~400 organizations & businesses urging Congress to protect @noaa.gov & its vital services. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

The Federal Railroad Administration is vital to keep the Midwest moving, and administer planning & construction projects currently underway across 48 states. ELPC joined 22 organizations urging @usdot.bsky.social to protect mission-critical personnel at FRA railpassengers.org/happening-no...

Clean energy progress in MN! The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved @xcelenergy.com 2024 Integrated Resource Plan settlement, delivering on: 🌞 Expanding local #solar & battery storage 🙋 Increasing customer participation 💰 Keeping rate increases below 1% Read more on ELPC's role:

New data tool from @n4ej.org! Chicago has a batch of air monitors to install around town, and you can help suggest spots for them. 🏭 Is there a local facility you're concerned about? 🚚 A corner with a lot of truck traffic? Add your suggestions here chicagoaqi.com to target & reduce #AirPollution

“Michigan can avoid debate over public lands for private solar projects with policy tweaks that better support rooftop and community solar.” Read more from ELPC’s Kelly Thayer via @bridgemi.com #CommunitySolar #SolarEnergy www.bridgemi.com/guest-commen...

Rushing the controversial #Line5 tunnel project threatens these vital Great Lakes resources and denies the voices of concerned citizens. @miclimateaction.bsky.social #GreatLakes elpc.org/news/elpc-mi...

“The future of EPA's program is up to the will of Republicans in Congress” - ELPC's Susan Mudd. "They need to stand up for their constituents & save the children across their states.” subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene... via @eenews.bsky.social #CleanRide4Kids

The federal funding freeze is hitting rural communities hard — especially those relying on the Rural Energy for America Program, which... 💰 Provides grants to cut energy costs 🌱 Supports clean energy & efficiency projects 🚜 Strengthens rural economies Funding is stalled, leaving many waiting.

Thanks to Sen. Gary Peters & Sen. Todd Young for sponsoring this critical, bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. We love the #GreatLakes!

Roses are red 🌹 Violets are blue 💙 Our Great Lakes need funding 🌊 And there's something you can do! 💪 Use your voice and urge Congress to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative today! 📣

Watchdog role pays off: Tradebe in NW Indy gets renewed permit with stricter requirements thanks to comments from enviro advocacy coalition, including ELPC. @nwitimes.com

The Trump admin's funding freeze has real-world consequences. Many schools were promised federal aid for electric school buses so that students could commute in cleaner, healthier vehicles—but now they're in a state of limbo. @nytimes.com

Join our friends at @miclimateaction.bsky.social! Enbridge wants to build a tunnel for its aging Line 5 pipeline—but the risks are too great. Join this public education event to learn what’s at stake & why you should support our appeal to MI Public Service Commission. More info: bit.ly/41dcDh2

“The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) approving this TRADEBE permit is only the beginning—not the end of the story," said ELPC Associate Attorney Kerri Gefeke. Strict IDEM oversight is needed, too.

💡 A Breakthrough for #CleanEnergy! 🚀 A new agreement with Ameren will integrate grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) into Illinois’ transmission planning—boosting efficiency & clean energy access. 🔋⚡

The Chicago Auto Show puts #ElectricVehicles on bold display! ELPC's Susan Mudd discussed how momentum for #EVs will continue despite new federal obstacles (via @cbsnews.com). @ilenviro.bsky.social

The future of Chicagoland's #transit is on the line. Will we invest in cleaner, faster, better transit—or let cuts fuel gridlock & pollution? ELPC’s Kevin Brubaker recently testified to @rtachicago.bsky.social about the stakes ahead.

Do you care about protecting our #wetlands? Then register for this webinar at 7 PM TONIGHT! Learn from ELPC Staff Attorney Katie Garvey & others as they discuss a crucial federal lawsuit that aims to abolish Swampbuster provisions that protect wetlands on agricultural lands. REGISTER NOW 👇

Come work with us! ELPC is hiring a Sr. Associate Attorney to lead nationally significant federal/state litigation & regulatory actions protecting the Midwest’s natural resources + the Great Lakes. At a time when environmental protections are under threat, this is your chance to make an impact.

Grid equity means ensuring all communities — especially the underserved — have access to reliable #CleanEnergy and its benefits. This energy transition offers an opportunity to integrate equity into our energy system. Illinois' new grid plans will turn this idea into reality.

"We expect U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to enforce the laws and rules within the agency’s purview intended to hold polluters accountable for their actions,” said ELPC's @annmesnikoff.bsky.social.

The Citizens Utility Board, @envdefensefund.bsky.social, & ELPC reached a settlement with Ameren to integrate grid-enhancing technologies into transmission planning in its Illinois service territory, helping maximize customer benefits of Ameren’s transmission investments.

We're only a week into Trump’s second term—& chaos is already overwhelming. But protecting the #GreatLakes is too important to be overlooked. Congress must reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative & fully fund key programs it supports Read more from ELPC's @annmesnikoff.bsky.social.

Did you miss our webinar discussing how to save #PublicTransit in Chicagoland? Watch the full recording featuring Illinois State Senator Ram Villivalam (Chair of the Senate #Transportation Committee) and Audrey Wennink of the Metropolitan Planning Council below.

“This is a major win for our community, to have IL Atty General Kwame Raoul and @ilepa.bsky.social say the expansion of this toxic landfill will not be (approved),” said Amalia NietoGomez of Alliance of the Southeast (via @chicagotribune.com).

"No president in an executive order can willy-nilly overturn congressional legislation,” said ELPC's Howard Learner, responding to the freeze on funds promised to Illinois and other states for #ElectricVehicles infrastructure, wind, and #SolarEnergy projects.

Because farmers work so closely with their land, they're often on the front lines of many environmental issues. Right now, they're fighting to protect the “Swampbuster” provision of the Farm Bill. Read more to find out why this program is crucial for sustainable farming.

"We applaud the Commission for its continued attention to these communities' needs," said ELPC's Daniel Abrams. "However, DTE & the Commission need to go further to incorporate distributed energy and new technologies into the DTE’s portfolio to best prepare for future grid needs.”

Thank you, @repschneider.bsky.social, for standing up for #ClimateAction and leading the charge to condemn the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. We need leaders to protect our planet, our future, and our place as a global clean energy leader. 🌍💪

"This crisis is not a moment for tinkering around the edges. Any increase in transit funding must be accompanied by significant structural reforms that improve the effectiveness of our region’s transit system." #TransitIsEssential #Twill #ClimateAction

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul & @ilepa.bsky.social tell the U.S. Army Corps that its plan to build a new toxic dredge dump on the Lake Michigan shoreline is illegal. Time to find a better site. @blockclubchi.bsky.social

Join us as we celebrate over 30 years of protecting the Midwest environment! 🗓️ Friday, June 6, 2025 ⏰ 5:30 PM CT 📍 Offshore Rooftop, Navy Pier, Chicago Get your tickets or become a sponsor at elpc.org/2025gala.

This is a turning point for #PublicTransit in Illinois. Either devastating service cuts or a renaissance for sustainable transportation. We have an opportunity to improve mobility for all, increase efficiency and safety, and reduce climate pollution. #TransitIsEssential

"Don’t chase the Trumpian squirrels. 🐿️ Stay focused on what matters. 🌍" State-level action is more important than ever. The Midwest made progress during the first Trump years. We can do it again. Clean air, clean water, and clean energy are worth the fight. 💪 @insideclimatenews.org

It’s official: Trump 2.0 is here. Without wasting time, the Trump Administration is rolling back core environmental protections. Watch our video to learn how ELPC will hold them accountable & drive environmental progress. We have a lot to do, but we’ll do it together. youtu.be/rHQKWlGv42g?...

Calling all Michigan attorneys! ELPC is hiring a Public Interest Litigation Attorney to lead the charge in advancing clean energy and protecting clean water. APPLY NOW 🔽

📢 On Day 1 of his administration, President Trump is departing from his campaign support for clean air and water, core environmental values. 🌎 His orders would drag America back to the past when coal was king, leaded gas was the norm, and our children played with toxic toys. 🏭

Chicago’s lakefront is for people and parks — NOT toxic waste dumps. The long-promised park should now move forward for Chicagoans to enjoy. Army Corps lacks the legal authority to build on the lakefront site and must bring forth alternative solutions" - Howard Learner, ELPC