coal ash impoundments

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After the year we just had, the term “2020 vision” will never sound quite the same.

2020 brought more than its share of tragedies and challenges, yet Clean Power Lake County (CPLC) had moments worth celebrating. We’re excited to share some of these moments with you because they highlight the many ways our supporters continue to show up to fight for environmental justice in Lake County.

January

January 6: CPLC joined Illinois Communities for Coal Ash Cleanup to comment on the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s draft rules for coal ash impoundments.
January 6: The Waukegan City Council passed a resolution to support Illinois’ Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA). The resolution recognized that environmental risks and burdens fall disproportionately on communities of color—and that these burdens cumulatively contribute to climate change. CPLC supports CEJA as a solution to both environmental racism and climate change at the local level.
January 14: CPLC co-chair Celeste Flores traveled to Texas for EPA public hearings on the proposed Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing rule. The proposed rule included regulations on ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions. Representatives of environmental justice organizations from across the nation attended the hearings.
January 20: CPLC co-chair and Mano a Mano Executive Director Dulce Ortiz received a Drum Major Award from Waukegan Township. Announced on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the awards recognize people who stand up for human rights and civil rights in their personal and professional lives.
January 21: CPLC joined other members of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) at a press conference to demand that legislators block Trump-backed fossil fuel bailouts. ICJC said the bailouts exacerbate climate change, pollution, and energy inequity.
January 21: The public finally learned that Medline Industries in Waukegan had initiated a temporary shutdown of EtO operations on December 13.
January 27: CPLC helped deliver 38,000 petitions from Illinois residents urging Gov. J.B. Pritzker to pass CEJA. Colin Byers of Waukegan spoke on our behalf. He was accompanied by Steering Committee members Rev. Eileen Shanley-Roberts, Eddie Sandoval, and Celeste Flores.
January 29: Gov. J.B. Pritzker mentioned clean energy as a priority during his State of the State address. (Let’s continue to urge the governor to act on this priority in 2021; see actions at the end of this post.)

February

February 4: Co-chair Celeste Flores attended the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., as a guest of Sen. Tammy Duckworth to help shine a light on environmental justice and “raise awareness of the fact that these communities face public health challenges at alarming rates while too many in power look the other way.”
February 18: CPLC signed a joint organization letter calling on the EPA to reduce EtO and other emissions from chemical plants to decrease the risk of cancer.
February 21: Co-chair Dulce Ortiz spoke at an Illinois House Public Utilities Committee hearing, urging legislators to protect communities against the harmful impacts of continued fossil fuel bailouts by passing CEJA and growing an equitable clean energy economy.

March

March 4: CPLC advocated for the passage of CEJA during Lobby Day in Springfield. Steering Committee member Octavius Hayes spoke at the high-energy rally.
March 6: Co-chair Celeste Flores testified about just transitions in an Illinois House Energy and Environment Committee hearing on equity in the energy industry.

April

April 16: CPLC joined the Earth Day to May Day Coalition, which united labor, community, and environmental justice organizations. Co-chair Dulce Ortiz spoke at the coalition’s kickoff press conference.
April 22: Several CPLC volunteers spoke during a virtual Earth Day event hosted by the Earth Day to May Day Coalition.

May

May 5: Co-chair Celeste Flores appeared on a “Chicago Tonight” segment focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on Waukegan. She made relevant points about CPLC’s mission and advocacy for environmental justice.
May 28: A new ICJC poll showed that 8 in 10 Illinois voters support CEJA. They understand that CEJA will create thousands of clean energy jobs without raising taxes or hiking energy bills.

August

August 11: CPLC joined national environmental justice organizations in sending a letter to the EPA opposing attempts to undermine the independent scientific standard for EtO.
August 12-13: Ten CPLC volunteers delivered public comments at the first of two sets of coal ash hearings hosted by the Illinois Pollution Control Board.

September

September 14: Co-chair Celeste Flores was named to Energy News Network’s 40 Under 40 list. The list highlighted emerging leaders in the work to achieve a just transition to a clean energy economy.
September 17: CPLC Steering Committee member Eddie Flores advocated for CEJA during a virtual youth town hall hosted by ICJC.
September 21: CPLC and ICJC hosted a “Re-envision and Re-invest in Illinois Coal Communities” virtual town hall. Co-chair Dulce Ortiz spoke at the event.
September 22: CPLC, Sierra Club, and State Rep. Joyce Mason hosted a “Reimagining Solutions for Racial Justice & Climate Change in District 61” virtual town hall focusing on CEJA. Co-chair Dulce Ortiz was a featured speaker.
September 29-October 1: Ten CPLC volunteers—three testifying in Spanish—delivered public comments at the second of two sets of coal ash hearings hosted by the Illinois Pollution Control Board.

October

October 7: Anticipating that CEJA might come up for a vote during the scheduled veto session, CPLC partnered with ICJC to create a video with our perspective on the need for CJEA. Although the veto session was cancelled, the video remains a strategic tool to help move legislators during the next session.
October 31: As of this date, 1,712 people had signed a joint Sierra Club/Faith in Place/Eco-Justice Collaborative/CARE petition calling for strong coal ash rules. More than 310 petitions contained personalized messages.

November

November 9-13: More than 1,000 Illinois residents—including CPLC volunteers—attended 80 meetings with Illinois legislators on Virtual Lobby Day, November 12. Steering Committee member Eddie Flores spoke at the midday rally.

December

December 22: CPLC, Earthjustice, and many other justice organizations sent a letter to the EPA requesting an extension on the deadline for public comment on the draft human health/ecological risk assessments for EtO. The original deadline was January 19, 2021.

Last, but not least

CPLC, partnering with the Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund, launched the “Support CPLC” fundraising campaign. Proceeds will help us ramp up public work to transition northeastern Lake County toward a clean, sustainable future and to fight environmental injustice in our community. As of today, we are more than halfway toward our $30K goal. To support CPLC, please make a gift here.

2021 vision

We predict that CEJA will pass in 2021—with your help! So we must tell our elected officials to pass CEJA now!

Please sign this letter supporting CEJA.

Write your own letter. Feel free to use sample phrases and facts from our CEJA fact sheet.

We have much justice work to do this year. Despite 2021’s disturbing start, we look forward to continuing this work, together, to create a more livable, more just world.

It is part of Clean Power Lake County’s DNA to support state action on toxic coal ash ponds. So when the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) held its August hearing on proposed rules for the Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act, we were there to call for stronger rules.

Why was that important? Because the groundbreaking Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act provided an important framework for addressing toxic coal ash waste (see CPLC Celebrates as Governor Signs Milestone Coal Ash Cleanup Bill Into Law) and a rulemaking process. However, it did not establish enforcement standards. Instead, it tasked the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) with drafting the actual rules for enforcing the law.

The August hearing was IEPA’s first opportunity to testify in defense of its proposed rules. It also was the first time that industry representatives, environmental groups, and other public stakeholders could ask IEPA about the proposed rules.

Several Clean Power Lake County members—including folks who participated in IEPA coal ash listening sessions in Waukegan last September—made virtual statements during the public comment periods of the August hearing.

Mary Mathews represents the League of Women Voters of Lake County, a coalition member of Clean Power Lake County. Mathews demanded strict measures for coal ash: “In order to protect the groundwater’s chemical integrity, rules for cleanup and closure of coal ash sites must provide permanent protection from coal ash pollution.”

She also stressed the importance of public participation in the decision-making process: “The public has the right to know about pollution levels, dangers to health and environment, and proposed policies and options. Accordingly, the rules should include expanded outreach and require that opportunities, materials, and documents be made available to non-English speaking stakeholders. Additionally, hearings should be held in easily accessible locations, at convenient times, and, when possible, in the area concerned.”

Leah Hartung, an intern for Clean Power Lake County, stressed that improper coal ash management makes drinking water unsafe: “Since groundwater monitoring began in 2010, the groundwater at the Waukegan power plant has been found 400 times to have the contaminants related to coal ash above allowable levels. This is unacceptable. Safe drinking water is a human right, not a privilege.”

When IPCB holds its September 29-October 1 hearing—its second and final hearing on the proposed coal ash rules—Clean Power Lake County members will be there once again. We will stress the importance of adopting the strongest possible rules to protect us and residents of other communities burdened by coal ash pollution.

Here’s how you can help: Email your comments to Clerk of the Board Don Brown by October 15.

Want background information to use to prepare written comments? Download Coal Ash Rulemaking Document by Prairie Rivers Network and Coal Ash Backgrounder by Earthjustice.

Clean Power Lake County

Building a healthy, clean energy future for Lake County

CPLC: 2020 Highlights