CPLC: 2022 highlights

January 2, 2023 Karen Long MacLeod Campaign Updates, Community News, Events, News Clips Brushwood Center, buses, CEJA, Celeste Flores, chemical disaster, Chicago Tribune, Clean Power Lake County, Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, coal ash ponds, coal plants, coloring book, Dulce Ortiz, Earthjustice, Eddie Flores, environmental justice, EPA, ethylene oxide, EtO, interns, Leah Hartung, Mayor Ann Taylor, Midwest Generation, NRG Energy, PACE, Rep. Brad Schneider, Sen. Adriane Johnson, State Rep. Rita Mayfield, Waukegan lakefront

The power plant on Waukegan’s lakefront stops burning coal in June 2022! [Photo: Karen Long MacLeod/CPLC]
CPLC co-chair Dulce Ortiz worries about toxic coal ash at the Waukegan lakefront.
CPLC co-chair Dulce Ortiz demands toxic coal ash be removed from the lakefront ASAP. [Photo: Rep. Rita Mayfield]
CPLC Summer 2022 interns.
CPLC co-chair Eddie Flores shares his environmental justice journey in a new coloring book.
US EPA must do more to prevent chemical disasters, says CPLC’s Celeste Flores. [Photo: Coming Clean]

WE DID IT! In 2022, after working together as a community for more than 10 years, we shut down the last two coal-burning units at the Waukegan Generating Station’s Lake Michigan site.

The coal plant’s closure definitely stands out as the biggest milestone of the year for Clean Power Lake County (CPLC). Yet it is just one of several moments in 2022 worth noting.

January

January 11: State Rep. Rita Mayfield and State Sen. Adriane Johnson introduced legislation (House Bill 4358/Senate Bill 3073) requiring removal of all coal ash from the Waukegan Generating Station site. The toxic waste has contaminated groundwater at the Lake Michigan site for more than 10 years.

February

February 18: CPLC supporters met virtually with state legislators to lobby for bills addressing environmental injustices in the issuance of permits, requiring removal of all coal ash from the Waukegan Generating Station site, and more.

February 25: The Illinois Senate passed a bill requiring removal of all coal ash from the Waukegan Generating Station site. If enacted, it would safeguard Lake Michigan, the main source of drinking water for nearly 6 million people.

April

April 7: Despite widespread community support and Illinois Senate approval, a bill requiring removal of all coal ash from the Waukegan Generating Station site did not advance in the Illinois House during the last week of the spring legislative session.

April 27: ComEd filed new rates with the Illinois Commerce Commission to give direct credits of more than $1 billion to customers—a result of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA).

June

June 1: NRG shut down the last two coal-burning units at the Waukegan Generating Station. Huge win for our community! Closing the lakefront coal plant has been CPLC’s top priority for almost 10 years.

June 9: WBEZ-Chicago and WGN-TV highlighted serious concerns about hazardous coal ash waste left behind at the newly closed Waukegan Generating Station. CPLC co-chair Dulce Ortiz, Sierra Club’s Christine Nannicelli, State Rep. Rita Mayfield, and Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor were interviewed.

June 13: CPLC celebrated the delivery of the first of six battery-electric Pace buses slated for Waukegan. The transit agency decided to make the North Division in Waukegan its first Zero Emission Facility in response to a strong campaign led by CPLC Steering Committee member Leah Hartung.

June 27: Citing newly identified flood risks at the Waukegan power plant, CPLC co-chair Dulce Ortiz demanded NRG be held accountable for cleaning up toxic coal ash at the site as soon as possible. Joining the call for action were Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor, State Rep. Rita Mayfield, State Sen. Adriane Johnson, and Congressman Brad Schneider.

July

July 28: CPLC offered a fond farewell to Summer 2022 interns: Waukegan native Michelle Aguilar, a government and politics major at Scripps College in Claremont, California; and Maddie Young, an environmental studies major at American University in Washington, D.C.

August

August 16: President Joe Biden signed a sweeping $750 billion health care, tax, and climate bill into law. Thanks to the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), Illinois is in a strong position to use the historic climate funding included in the Inflation Reduction Act.

August 20: CPLC co-chair Eddie Flores signed copies of Eddie’s Environmental Justice Journey during a downtown Waukegan event. The bilingual coloring book was a collaborative effort by Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, CPLC, and local artist Diana Nava.

August 25: Earthjustice—on behalf of CPLC and other groups—sued the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for exempting at least half a billion tons of coal ash in nearly 300 landfills in 38 states from standards designed to protect people from cancer-causing chemicals.

September

September 15: One year after the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) was signed, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition saluted volunteers across Illinois—including CPLC supporters—who fought like the planet depended on it (it does) for a #FossilFreeIL.

September 26–28: CPLC Steering Committee member Celeste Flores urged the US EPA to require chemical facilities to prepare for climate change by implementing safer chemicals and processes. Our message during the virtual hearing: Voluntary measures aren’t enough to prevent chemical disasters.

November

November 4: A project to monitor ethylene oxide (EtO) in Lake County will receive a US EPA grant funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. “ Testing is a good start,” said CPLC Steering Committee member Celeste Flores in a Lake County News-Sun article.

December

December 14: Earthjustice—on behalf of CPLC and other groups—sued the US EPA for failing to take legally required action to protect the public from carcinogenic air emissions from ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization facilities.

2023 vision

Now that pandemic lockdowns are behind us (forever, we hope!), we are excited about the opportunity to work with you in person once again!

Priorities for 2023:

Ensuring all coal ash is removed from the Waukegan Generating Station site. It should not be allowed to contaminate Lake Michigan, the source of drinking water for 6 million people in four states.
Working to ensure workforce training programs under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) increase access for marginalized communities and include community-driven approaches that lead to jobs, capital to complete projects, and more.
Supporting federal action to protect our community from emissions of ethylene oxide and other harmful chemicals.

To support CPLC’s work, please make a gift today.

CPLC: 2021 highlights

February 7, 2022February 7, 2022 Karen Long MacLeod Campaign Updates, Community News, Events, News Clips Brushwood Center, buses, CEJA, Celeste Flores, Chicago Tonight, Chicago Tribune, Clean Power Lake County, Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, coal ash ponds, coal ash rules, coal plants, Dulce Ortiz, Eddie Flores, environmental justice, EPA, ethylene oxide, EtO, General Iron, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, hunger strike, Illinois Pollution Control Board, interns, just transition, Latino Voices, Medline, Midwest Generation, NRG Energy, PACE, Pride Drive, Sen. Adriane Johnson, Sterigenics, wastewater, Waukegan lakefront

Chicago Tribune: Medline and Sterigenics are not reporting data to the EPA.
CPLC volunteers making phone calls for CEJA.
CPLC in its second appearance in Waukegan’s Pride Drive.
CPLC volunteers at Springfield rally for a comprehensive, equitable climate bill.
CPLC volunteers and Sen. Adriane Johnson at North Chicago’s Foss Park.
CPLC summer interns.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker with the newly signed Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.
CPLC co-chair Dulce Ortiz.
CPLC’s Dulce Ortiz and Celeste Flores at the signing of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.
CPLC’s Eddie Flores, recipient of Environmental Youth Leadership Award from Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods.
Chicago Tribune: CPLC’s fight for clean air, clean water, and healthy soil.

As we reflect on the events of 2021, we feel grateful for—and empowered by—our community and our shared vision to make our world a better place. Clean Power Lake County (CPLC) is proud to highlight some of our recent accomplishments.

February

February 7: CPLC co-chair Dulce Ortiz joined the Illinois Environmental Justice Commission as a voting member. The commission advises the Governor and state entities on environmental justice and related community issues.
February 8: Four members of CPLC’s steering committee joined a one-day hunger strike to protest the move of General Iron Industries’ metal shredding facility from Chicago’s affluent, predominantly white Lincoln Park neighborhood to Chicago’s predominantly Latino Southeast Side.

April

April 15: The Illinois Pollution Control Board adopted rules for closing more than 70 coal ash ponds across the state—including two on Waukegan’s lakefront. CPLC members worked hard to make this happen!
April 18: CPLC demanded that President Joe Biden’s administration address the Environmental Protection Agency’s failure to investigate ethylene oxide (EtO) polluters in Lake County—or to warn residents about the carcinogen.

May

May 17: “Transparency is key,” said CPLC co-chair Celeste Flores in a Chicago Tribune front-page story about Medline’s failure to report toxic ethylene oxide emissions to the Environmental Protection Agency.
May 24: CPLC organized one of several phone banking events supporting the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA).

June

June 2: CPLC participated in the Waukegan Pride Drive for the second consecutive year to help celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month.
June 14: CPLC and allies told the Chicago Tribune that toxic waste left behind by coal-fired power plants could endanger drinking water for years to come.
June 15: CPLC volunteers journeyed to Springfield to advocate for passage of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s comprehensive, equitable climate bill.
June 17: NRG announced plans to close the coal-fired power plant in Waukegan. “Hundreds of volunteers, thousands of hours, helped make this day a reality,” said CPLC co-chair Dulce Ortiz.

July

July 31 : CPLC steering committee member Eddie Flores appeared on WTTW – Chicago Tonight Latino Voices to discuss key elements of the Clean Energy Jobs Act.

August

August 2: Big win! After meeting with CPLC, the Environmental Protection Agency decided to revise rules for how coal-fired power plants—including the one in Waukegan—can dispose of contaminated wastewater.
August 7: CPLC partnered with Illinois Sen. Adrianne Johnson to organize a clean-up at North Chicago’s Foss Park.

September

September 6: Thanks to our combined efforts, the Illinois House passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, one of the most ambitious climate justice laws in the nation!
September 15: Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act into law. This was CPLC’s top priority for 2021: CPLC co-chairs Dulce Ortiz and Celeste Flores were thrilled to join fellow members of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition for the signing ceremony on Chicago’s lakefront.
September 16: After several months of advocacy by Sierra Club Illinois, CPLC and other environmental organizations, PACE announced plans to electrify its the Waukegan bus fleet by 2026.

October

October 2: CPLC steering committee member Eddie Flores received the Environmental Youth Leadership Award from Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods.

December

December 5: CPLC’s fight for clean air, clean water, and healthy soil in Waukegan was the subject of the front-page story in the Sunday edition of the Chicago Tribune. CPLC co-chair Dulce Ortiz and steering committee members Eddie Flores and Karen Long MacLeod were interviewed.
December 15-16: CPLC volunteers asked dozens of questions during Midwest Generation’s public meetings on proposed plans to close coal ash ponds on the Waukegan lakefront.

2022 vision

This year, we feel all the more energized to accomplish our mission: ensuring clean air, clean water, and healthy soil for every Lake County community member and achieving the self-determination of those disproportionately impacted by environmental pollution.

Priorities for 2022:

Continue pursuing a just transition for the Waukegan coal plant. This means ensuring that coal ash is removed so it cannot contaminate Lake Michigan, the source of drinking water for 6 million people in four states. It also means ensuring proper notification and public engagement if and when the company plans any demolition at the site.
Monitoring efforts to implement the Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act (signed into law in 2019) to hold coal plant owners accountable for clean-ups.
Serving in key working groups to ensure effective implementation of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (signed into law in 2021).

CPLC Members Call for Stronger Coal Ash Rules

September 28, 2020September 27, 2020 Karen Long MacLeod Campaign Updates Clean Power Lake County, coal ash, coal ash impoundments, coal ash pits, Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act, coal ash ponds, Earthjustice, IEPA, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Pollution Control Board, IPCB, League of Women Voters of Lake County, Leah Hartung, Mary Mathews, Prairie Rivers Network, Waukegan

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.

Illinois has the highest concentration of coal ash impoundments in the country.

There are two unlined coal ash ponds at the NRG Energy coal-fired power plant on Waukegan’s lakefront.

CPLC to Host Prep Meeting for IEPA Sessions on Waukegan Coal Plant

September 15, 2019September 15, 2019 Karen Long MacLeod Campaign Updates, Community News, Events Clean Air Act permit, Clean Power Lake County, coal ash, coal ash ponds, coal plant, IEPA, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Waukegan, Waukegan lakefront

Lake County residents line the Lake Michigan shoreline to demand a fossil fuel-free, clean energy future for their communities. [Karen Long MacLeod/CPLC photo]

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will hold two public sessions in Waukegan in October on issues related to the Waukegan coal plant—and we want to be ready!

Please join Clean Power Lake County for an important community information and work meeting on Wednesday, September 25, 7 pm to 8:30 pm, at Whittier Elementary School, 901 N. Lewis Ave., Waukegan, Illinois.

We’ll work on comments for two upcoming IEPA visits to Waukegan:

Thursday, October 3: IEPA Public Hearing about proposed Clean Air Act Permit Program for Waukegan coal plant
Wednesday, October 9: IEPA Listening Session about rulemaking for coal ash ponds

RSVP now.

For more information, contact CPLC at cleanpowerlc@gmail.com or 224-212-9156.

CPLC Celebrates as Governor Signs Milestone Coal Ash Cleanup Bill Into Law

July 31, 2019 Karen Long MacLeod Campaign Updates, Community News Celeste Flores, Clean Power Lake County, coal ash, coal ash pits, Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act, coal ash ponds, Dulce Ortiz, environmental justice, Faith in Place, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Pollution Control Board, regulations, SB9, State Rep. Bob Morgan, State Rep. Dan Didech, State Rep. Joyce Mason, State Rep. Mary Edly-Allen, State Rep. Rita Mayfield, State Rep. Sam Yingling, State Sen. Julie Morrison, State Sen. Melinda Bush, State Sen. Terry Link, Waukegan

The NRG Energy coal-fired power plant on Waukegan’s lakefront has two unlined coal ash ponds. [Lisa Long/CPLC photo.]

For years, Clean Power Lake County has called for state action on toxic pollution from two unlined coal ash ponds at the NRG Energy coal-fired power plant on Waukegan’s lakefront. On July 30, 2019, our calls were answered as Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed SB9, the Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act, into law.

The most significant step to protect clean water in years, the new law will result in stronger rules for coal ash cleanup, fund cleanup programs, and require companies to set aside money to close and clean up coal ash ponds.

“This is a great win for coal ash communities, especially for Waukegan residents that have been continuously affected by corporate polluters,” said Dulce Ortiz, co-chair of Clean Power Lake County.

“The governor is putting the State of Illinois in a good trajectory in signing SB9 into law, by sending a message that environmental justice communities across the state are being put before profitable industrial polluters like NRG Energy. Waukegan residents commend Gov. Pritzker and our state legislators for making SB9 into law. Our land is our children’s future and we look forward to the State of Illinois continuing to strengthen protections for our vulnerable environmental justice communities,” she added.

The Lake County News-Sun published a nice summary of the law’s potential impact on Waukegan.

The groundbreaking bill addresses the many waste pits filled with coal ash, the toxic byproduct of burning coal, located all over the state:

Creates a regulatory framework to ensure polluters, not taxpayers, pay for needed closure and cleanup.
Guarantees public participation and transparency around cleanups for affected communities.
Provides the Illinois EPA the funds it needs to properly oversee closure and cleanup.
Requires Illinois to put in place standards for coal ash impoundments that are at least as protective as federal coal ash rule requirements, with additional protections against dust and water pollution.

Now the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) will begin writing and proposing draft rules. The Illinois Pollution Control Board will finalize the IEPA rules.

Read about the requirements for the new coal ash regulations.

“Illinois joins other states that are putting residents’ health before industrial polluters’ profit. We look forward to working with IEPA to engage communities most affected by coal ash in the rulemaking process,” said Celeste Flores, co-chair of Clean Power Lake County and Lake County Outreach Director for Faith in Place.

Once again, we thank the many Lake County elected officials who supported this important legislation: State Senators Melinda Bush, Terry Link, and Julie Morrison; and State Representatives Rita Mayfield, Joyce Mason, Dan Didech, Mary Edly-Allen, Bob Morgan, and Sam Yingling.