On Thursday, the Sierra Club will be hosting a press conference in support of a Milwaukee County Board resolution calling on the DNR to reject We Energies’ request for a mercury variance in their discharge water. The proposed variance in the DNR’s draft permit would currently allow We Energies to discharge water tainted with mercury at three times the state standard into Lake Michigan. Mercury is a well-known neurotoxin that has harmful effects on nervous systems, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys, and other parts of the body. The resolution is sponsored by Supervisors Steven Shea, Patti Logsdon, Willie Johnson Jr., Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, and Deanna Alexander. The Intergovernmental Relations Committee unanimously recommended that the full County Board adopt the resolution.
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OLYMPIA, WA—Today, the Washington State legislature officially passed Senate Bill 5116, a bill that mandates an equitable transition to 100 percent clean electricity generation for the entire state by 2045.
Montana — Late Friday, a federal judge ruled that the Trump Administration’s Interior Department illegally lifted the moratorium placed on new coal mining leases on public lands. Sierra Club challenged the Interior Department’s 2017 action along with Center for Biological Diversity, Citizens for Clean Energy, Defenders of Wildlife, EcoCheyene, Montana Environmental Information Center, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, and WildEarth Guardians -- all represented by Earthjustice.
CARSON CITY, NV—Today, with a unanimous Assembly vote, the Nevada state legislature passed Senate Bill 358, a bill that ensures electricity providers meet of 50 percent of customer needs with renewable electricity statewide by 2030 and 100 percent clean energy by 2050.
The bill, first introduced in March, unanimously passed the state Senate earlier this week. It now heads to the desk of Governor Steve Sisolak to be signed into law.
RICHMOND, Virginia – Today, the State Air Pollution Control Board voted to approve a limit on carbon pollution from dirty power plants across Virginia which will take effect on January 1, 2020. The standard will cut carbon pollution in Virginia 30% by 2030, and allow the state to link with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). This is the first state-level carbon pollution limit under the current federal administration. However, the rule doesn’t include biomass which can produce as much or more carbon dioxide as electricity generated by coal-fired power.
Sierra Club will submit approximately 70,000 comments from around the United States to the EPA today demanding former coal lobbyist and EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler not move forward with his proposal to roll back the legal foundation for the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)
RICHMOND, Virginia – The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced today they will be seeking a “qualified external consultant” to conduct an environmental justice study. The goal of the study is to identify recommendations the department can implement to create a strategic approach that focuses on environmental justice throughout the state.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – A lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s approval of Alton Coal’s mine expansion near Bryce Canyon National Park was filed today by Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), Grand Canyon Trust, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment and WildEarth Guardians.
Duke's claim that the appeal is in the interest of its ratepayers rings hollow given the company's intention to profit off its cleanup costs. And the ratepayers Duke pretends to care so much about include the same people whose waters have been polluted by coal ash.
Congressman Matt Cartwright (D-PA) and Hal Rogers (R-KY) introduced the bipartisan RECLAIM Act today in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Annapolis, M.D.--The Maryland General Assembly just passed the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) and has subsequently sent the bill to the Governor’s desk for signature. The bill will accelerate the state’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 50% by 2030, including a huge leap in solar energy combined with quadrupling the state’s commitment to offshore wind. Additionally, the bill will provide millions of dollars to workforce development programs, and require the state to create a plan and complete a robust analysis in order to accomplish the goal of Maryland going 100% clean energy by 2040.
To welcome Duane Highley, the new CEO of Tri-State Generation and Transmission, to the West, a group representing over 3,300 co-op members and advocates presented him a symbolic welcome basket at Tri-State’s annual meeting at the Omni Interlocken Hotel. Mr. Highley is assuming his new position during a time of dramatic changes in the energy landscape of Tri-State member territories.