CPLC: 2020 Highlights

January 26, 2021January 26, 2021 Karen Long MacLeod Campaign Updates, Community News 40 Under 40 list, CARE, CEJA, Celeste Flores, Chicago Tonight, Clean Energy Jobs Act, Clean Power Lake County, coal ash hearings, coal ash impoundments, coal ash rules, Colin Byers, COVID-19, Drum Major, Dulce Ortiz, Earth Day, Earth Day to May Day Coalition, Earthjustice, Eco-Justice Collaborative, Eddie Flores, Edgar Sandoval, environmental justice, Environmental Lobby Day, ethylene oxide, EtO, Faith in Place, fossil fuel bailouts, fundraiser, fundraising campaign, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, ICJC, Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, Illinois Communities for Coal Ash Cleanup, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Pollution Control Board, Lake County, Medline Industries, Octavius Hayes, Rev. Eileen Shanley Roberts, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Sierra Club, State of the Union address, State Rep. Joyce Mason, Support CPLC, veto session, video, Virtual Lobby Day, Waukegan City Council, Waukegan Township

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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.

Ethylene Oxide: CPLC Fights Toxic Emissions in Our Community

April 14, 2019April 28, 2019 Karen Long MacLeod Campaign Updates, Community News Celeste Flores, Clean Power Lake County, Diana Burdette, ethylene oxide, EtO, Faith in Place, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Gurnee, Lake County Health Department, Medline Industries, Rep. Bill Foster, Rep. Brad Schneider, Rep. Dan Lipinski, Rep. Sean Casten, Rev. Eileen Shanley Roberts, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Sterigenics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Vantage Specialty Chemicals, Waukegan

Tens of thousands of residents in western Waukegan, Gurnee, Park City, North Chicago, Warren Township, and Naval Station Great Lakes, are at risk from ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions — the same cancer-causing chemicals that prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker to order the shutdown of Sterigenics in DuPage County.

And that is unacceptable!

Clean Power Lake County and Faith in Place have worked actively on this issue since November 2018, when an article about cancer-causing ethylene oxide gas emissions in Waukegan and Gurnee appeared on page 1 of the November 4, 2018, Chicago Tribune. Our own Celeste Flores and Rev. Eileen Shanley-Roberts were key sources in that article.

That was when we learned that Medline Industries in Waukegan and Vantage Specialty Chemicals in Gurnee posed significant health risks to our communities.

Officials from Lake County, Waukegan and Gurnee knew about the hazards before the Chicago Tribune article was published. However, they did not warn neighbors of the hazards.

More than 19,000 people live within areas at risk from ethylene oxide emitted at the Medline Industries plant in Waukegan (near Skokie Highway and Casimir Pulaski Drive—just west of Greenbelt Forest Preserve).
More than 23,000 people live within areas at risk from ethylene oxide emitted at the Vantage Specialty Chemicals plant in Gurnee (near Route 41 and Delaney Road).

What’s happening on ethylene oxide in Lake County

February 12, 2019: U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Dan Lipinski (D-IL-03), and Sean Casten (D-IL-06), introduced bills that would hold the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accountable for its poor oversight of ethylene oxide emissions.

March 27, 2019: U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tom Carper (D-DE) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler seeking information related to the agency’s recent decision to question EPA career staff’s assessment of the health risks and political appointees’ handling of potentially illegal releases of ethylene oxide (EtO). They also requested documents shedding light on the Trump EPA’s enforcement efforts at the Sterigenics Illinois plant and its management of risks posed by EtO at facilities nationwide.

March 27, 2019: Celeste Flores and Diana Burdette testified in Washington, D.C., on the need to protect members of marginalized communities from toxic ethylene oxide emissions.

April 2, 2019: U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked the Department of Homeland Security to revise its characterization of ethylene oxide, as required under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standard, as both flammable and explosive.

April 8, 2019: The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center, City of Waukegan, and Village of Gurnee officials announced plans to hire one vendor to collect air quality samples from four sites near Vantage Specialty Chemicals in Gurnee and four sites near Medline Industries in Waukegan. Read more.

April 10, 2019: The Illinois Senate passed SB 1852, requiring facilities to alert nearby property owners and local government of ethylene oxide leaks, and SB 1854, restricting and testing for fugitive emissions of ethylene oxide.

April 12, 2019: U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), spoke on the House floor regarding the need for ambient air testing of ethylene oxide in Waukegan and Gurnee so families can have confidence the air they and their children breathe is safe.

What is ethylene oxide?

Ethylene oxide (EtO) is a colorless gas used in the manufacturing of several industrial chemicals and as a sterilizing agent for medical equipment and supplies. People can be exposed to EtO through direct inhalation, ingestion, or contact to the skin, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

In December 2016, the U.S. EPA updated the risk status of ethylene oxide from “probably carcinogenic to humans” to “carcinogenic to humans.”

Want more info?

We Applaud Waukegan for Committing to Paris Agreement Goals

July 25, 2017July 25, 2017 Karen Long MacLeod Campaign Updates, Community News beyond coal, carbon pollution, clean energy, Clean Power Lake County, coal plant, Compact of Mayors, Julio Guzman, Mayor Sam Cunningham, NRG Energy, Paris Agreement, Rev. Eileen Shanley Roberts, Sierra Club, Waukegan City Council, Waukegan lakefront

After over 4 years of climate/environmental advocacy, Clean Power Lake County members commend Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham and the City Council for committing to the Paris Climate Agreement and Compact of Mayors. [Photo by Dylan Blake.]

After more than 4 years of advocating a coal-to-clean energy plan for Waukegan, Clean Power Lake County and our partners now commend Mayor Sam Cunningham and City Council members for making a commitment to act on climate: On July 17, 2017, the Waukegan City Council unanimously passed a resolution committing the City of Waukegan to adopt, honor, and uphold the Paris Climate Agreement goals and authorizing the mayor to commit the city to the Compact of Mayors.

On the Monday night of the vote, 40-plus members of Clean Power Lake County filled the lion’s share of seats in the council chambers. We listened intently as council members voiced their votes one by one. When the eighth alderman said “aye” into the microphone, we leapt to our feet, clapping and cheering.

The City of Waukegan’s decision comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States would exit the Paris Agreement. The central aim of the historic international climate accord is to keep a global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Waukegan now joins 357 other cities that have committed to upholding the Paris goals and reducing carbon pollution locally.

Waukegan is the only Illinois city with an active coal plant to sign on to the agreement. The coal plant is owned by New Jersey-based NRG Energy . It is the largest point source of carbon dioxide emissions in Lake County, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Coal-fired power plants are responsible for one-third of U.S. carbon emissions. Reducing carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants was the signature policy of President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, designed to meet reduction targets under the Paris Agreement.

“Clean Power Lake County and our partners look forward to working with Mayor Cunningham and City Council in developing a climate action plan that moves Waukegan beyond our legacy of pollution and positions our city as a clean energy leader. This work lies hand-in-hand with the mayor’s goal to revitalize our lakefront and local economy and we encourage City Hall to not waste any time in getting started,” said Rev. Eileen Shanley-Roberts, co-chair of the Clean Power Lake County Campaign.

“Sierra Club applauds Mayor Cunningham and the City of Waukegan for their commitment to climate leadership at this critical moment in our country’s history,” said Julio Guzman, campaign representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. “We look forward to working with Mayor Cunningham in developing a strong and just plan to reduce carbon pollution and bring new clean energy investments and jobs to Waukegan. After years of community members speaking out on climate change and urging Waukegan to move beyond coal, this marks an important step forward in charting a new course on environmental leadership for our city.”

Now let’s get to work and reach those goals. Click here to find out how you can get involved.

Clean Power Lake County Campaign Is Showcased in One Earth Film Festival

February 27, 2017February 27, 2017 Karen Long MacLeod Events A Plastic Ocean, America Ferrera, Before the Flood, beyond coal, Celeste Flores, Christine Nannicelli, clean energy, Clean Power Lake County, coal plant, Dulce Ortiz, Hometown Habitat, Julio Guzman, Karen Long MacLeod, Lake County, NRG Energy, One Earth Film Festival, Rev. Eileen Shanley Roberts, Shifting Sands, Sister Kathleen Long, Uprising, Waukegan, Waukegan City Council, Years of Living Dangerously

Several Clean Power Lake County activists appear in one of five environment-themed films to be screened in Lake County as part of the One Earth Film Festival, March 4-11.

Dulce Ortiz, Rev. Eileen Shanley-Roberts, Sister Kathleen Long, Karen Long MacLeod, Julio Guzman, Celeste Flores, and Christine Nannicelli appear along with hundreds of campaign supporters in “Years of Living Dangerously: Uprising.” The documentary will be shown at 5 p.m. on March 5 at Christ Episcopal Church in Waukegan.

In the documentary, actress America Ferrera follows Clean Power Lake County activists as, over the course of nearly a year, they collect and deliver petitions to the Waukegan City Council, journey to Springfield to advocate for clean energy policy that can provide green jobs, and appeal directly to NRG Energy to work with the community to transition its Waukegan power plant beyond coal.

Audience members will have the chance to meet local activists featured in the film, learn what Clean Power Lake County is doing to move Waukegan beyond coal, and talk with local leaders about how community members can work together to revitalize the Waukegan lakefront.

Here’s the line-up of Lake County showings:

March 4, 1:30 p.m.: Hometown Habitat, Stories of Bringing Nature Home, Prairie Crossing Charter School, 1531 Jones Point Road, Grayslake
March 5, 5 p.m.: Years of Living Dangerously: Uprising, Christ Episcopal Church, Memorial Hall, 410 Grand Ave., Waukegan
March 10, 6:30 p.m.: A Plastic Ocean, College of Lake County, A-Wing Auditorium, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake
March 11, 2:30 p.m.: Shifting Sands on the Path to Sustainability (with Spanish subtitles), Waukegan Public Library, 128 N. County St., Waukegan
March 11, 6:30 p.m.: Before the Flood (with Spanish subtitles), College of Lake County, A-Wing Auditorium, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake

The Lake County showings are free and open to the public. A $6 donation per film is appreciated. For more information, movie trailers and tickets, go to www.oneearthfilmfest.org/films-by-date.

The Lake County screenings are part of the Midwest’s premier environmental film festival. Local sponsors are Citizens Climate Lobby, Clean Power Lake County, College of Lake County, Faith in Place, Liberty Prairie Foundation, Prairie Crossing Charter School, Sierra Club: Woods & Wetlands Group, and Wild Ones: Lake to Prairie Chapter.