Renner Barsella, rennerbarsella@sierraclub.org, 217-390-9394
Marion IL -- Governor Rauner is scheduled to headline at a rally today alongside coal company executives that have been instrumental in creating Trump Administration policies aimed at reversing many American initiatives to promote clean energy, reduce air and water pollution from coal, and fight climate change. Rauner is to be introduced at the Marion event by billionaire coal baron Joseph W. Craft III, a close confidant of departed USEPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, and staunch proponent of Pruitt's and Trump's efforts to benefit his and other coal corporations.
Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter had this comment:
"Today Bruce Rauner is leading a coal pep rally with the same coal barons who are colluding with Donald Trump to take America backward and out of the global clean energy economy. These billionaires and corporations are funding Rauner's re-election campaign while seeking state permits to pollute our land, air, and water supply, despite a history of violating our environmental laws.
We can't let Bruce Rauner and his coal campaign donors dictate a dirtier future for Illinois by copying Donald Trump's dirty energy plans. We need to embrace the clean energy investments and jobs already being created across the state, and work with historic coal communities to seize these and other new economic opportunities. Communities that used to rely on coal mining deserve real help in diversifying their economies and winning clean energy jobs, not the false promise that the coal barons will do anything but make a profit while polluting our land, air, and water."
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.