Twists and Turns in the Campaign to Defeat the Dakota Access Pipeline, Two Other Victories Against Pipelines Nationally

Last week, we celebrated three major movement victories in the nation-wide organizing challenging fossil fuel infrastructure. One major pipeline project was canceled, and two were shut-down–including the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) which runs through parts of Illinois. Since then a court has ordered a temporary stay to allow DAPL to continue to operate, until a…

Federal Court Decision Raises Questions about a Permit Issued for Pond Creek Mine’s Wastewater Pipeline to the Big Muddy River in Southern Illinois

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 20, 2020 Contact: Amanda Pankau, Prairie Rivers Network, 217-840-3057, apankau@prairierivers.org Cindy Skrukrud, Sierra Club, 312-229-4694, cindy.skrukrud@sierraclub.org Williamson Energy, owner of the Pond Creek Mine in Franklin and Williamson County, Illinois, has applied for or received several permits needed to construct a proposed 12-mile pipeline to pump mine wastewater into the Big…

Linda Sullivan: Pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act in Illinois

Linda Sullivan, Sierra Club River Prairie Group volunteer, had her letter to the editor published in the Chicago Tribune. Her piece is reprinted below.   When Greta Thunberg begs legislators to stop telling her she is amazing but instead do something actually effective to avert climate disaster, she is talking about bills like the Clean…

The Dawn of a Bold New Era in Illinois?

Illinois May Be Emerging As One of America’s Environmental Leadership States. The seemingly sudden passage of several mega-measures by the Illinois General Assembly in the final days of the spring legislative session undoubtedly surprised many Illinoisans who learned that, over the first weekend of summer, the legislature legalized recreational cannabis use, expanded gaming, launched a long…

Sierra Club Statement on Introduction of the Clean Energy Jobs Act

Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition introduces new legislation to put Illinois on track to achieve 100% clean energy, expand workforce development, and responsibly transition away from fossil fuels In response, Jack Darin, Director of Sierra Club Illinois Chapter, released the following statement: “The introduction of the Clean Energy Jobs Act SB2132 (CASTRO) / HB3624 (WILLIAMS) today marks…

Governor Pritzker Issues Executive Order Signing Illinois onto the U.S. Climate Alliance

Springfield, January 23, 2019 – This morning Governor JB Pritzker signed an executive order making Illinois the 18th state to join the U.S. Climate Alliance. In response, Jack Darin, Director of Sierra Club Illinois Chapter, released the following statement: “By joining the US Climate Alliance as one of his first acts in office, Governor Pritzker…

“Illinois Must Step Up” In the Wake of Trump’s Unlawful Dirty Power Plan

As Trump and Wheeler Gut Clean Air Safeguards to Appease Coal, Will Rauner Respond? WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, former coal lobbyist and acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler released an unlawfully weak carbon pollution policy that would gut the Clean Power Plan’s life-saving standards and do next to nothing to fight the climate…

No to Fossil Fuel Bailouts, Yes to Clean Energy!

No to Fossil Fuel Bailouts: Dynegy, the Texas-based corporation that owns the majority of the aging coal plants in Central and Southern Illinois, is working behind closed doors with Rauner’s administration to rewrite State air pollution rules to allow them to double the amount of dangerous pollution they can spew into our air. Tell state…

How Data Transparency Could Drive Energy and Cost Savings

*UPDATE* Thank you to everyone who took action in encouraging the update of the Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance.  On November 21, the Chicago City Council approved the update! For more information, consult the Chicago Energy Benchmarking Homepage and a list of frequently asked questions. —————————————————————————————————————————————– Approximately 50% of Illinois’ carbon pollution is from electricity generation…

Illinois Fracking Permit Withdrawn Statement of Jack Darin, Director, Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter

Woolsey Operating Company, LLC has withdrawn its fracking permit and associated application for a wastewater injection well in White County Illinois. The permit was the first horizontal fracking permit to be issued since the Hydraulic Fracturing Regulatory Act was enacted in 2013, and recently approved over the objections of area residents and thousands of Illinoisans.…