Governor Quinn Announces Expansion of Clean Water Initiative

Today in his State of the State address, Illinois Governor Quinn announced a major expansion of the Illinois Clean Water Initiative, which offers low-cost financing for clean water projects undertaken by Illinois communities. Quinn also proposed opening the program to new, innovative approaches to solving pollution and flooding problems such as using green infrastructure and…

Emergency Action Stops Peabody From Illegal Logging at the Proposed Rocky Branch Strip Mine

The Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network and local citizens’ group, Justice for Rocky Branch, are applauding an emergency action by the U.S. Office of Surface Mining (OSM) to halt illegal logging and land clearing at Peabody Energy’s proposed Rocky Branch coal mine in Saline County. The action to protect the forest came after local residents…

Chicago Speaks Out in Favor of Invasive Species Prevention

The first public meeting on the Army Corps of Engineer’s GLMRIS report took place yesterday January 9th in Chicago.The meeting, held only three short days following the report’s release on Monday, turned out over 70 people to speak on aquatic invasive species control.  A clear majority of speakers supported permanent separation, and welcomed the Corps’…

Study: Physical Barrier Most Effective Way to Stop Invasive Species from Ravaging Great Lakes, Mississippi River

Alliance for the Great Lakes – Clean Water Action-Minnesota – Freshwater Future – Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition – Milwaukee Riverkeeper – National Wildlife Federation – Ohio Environmental Council – Natural Resources Defense Council – Prairie Rivers Network – Sierra Club For Immediate Release: January 7, 2014 CHICAGO – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers…

Released Report is a Call to Action on Aquatic Invasive Species!

Today the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the long-awaited Great Lakes Mississippi River Interbasin Study– a report directed by Congress to study prevention of invasive species transferbetween waterways around the Great Lakes. The introduction of invasive species, and in particular Asian Carp, to the Great Lakes threatens the billion-dollar fishing and boating industries as well…

Sierra Club sends a strong message–fracking rules must be strengthed

Friday, January 3rd, marked the deadline to submit comments regarding draft rules governing the Hydraulic Fracturing Regulatory Act. At 4:00 pm on Friday the Illinois Chapter’s comment letter along with the 3,515 comments you, our membership generated, were hand-delivered to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) in Springfield. Sierra Club joined citizens and organizations…