The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning is seeking comments on the 2026 revision of the official Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). Tell them you want electrified trains! Comments are due July 31 and you don't have to live in Illinois to comment. www.hsrail.org/blog/action-...

Tell Chicago: Include Electrified Rail in the Regional Transportation Plan | High Speed Rail Alliance

Comment on the Chicago Regional Transportation Plan. The Chicago area has a critical role to play in building high-speed and regional rail.

hsrail.org

Chicago’s Clean Transportation: Days of future past. ⚡🚍🚆 Thanks @chicagocta.bsky.social for hosting our staff and interns at your electric bus facilities, where we heard from the people making cleaner transportation possible every day.

Protecting clean water is more effective when we're all in this together! Yesterday, ELPC & nearly 60 groups spoke up to preserve Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, which gives states and tribes oversight in federal proposals. Our water is too important to go it alone. elpc.org/news/groups-...

Groups Urge Senate Committee to Protect States’, Tribes’ Clean Water Authority | Environmental Law & Policy Center

elpc.org

Solar opponents love to claim arrays threaten farmland. New data proves that’s not true, even in solar-fighting Ohio.

In Ohio, solar is no big threat to farmland

Fears over farmland loss have fueled arguments against renewables in Ohio — but golf courses and suburban sprawl take up far more acreage than solar does.

canarymedia.com

@elpcenter.bsky.social nails it here. Bloody red shrimp have invaded because we keep giving exempt Lakers a free pass. "This is not the first species to spread this way, and it will not be the last if EPA fails to regulate Lakers adequately."

Bloody Red Shrimp: Lakers Spread New Invasive Species into Lake Superior

EPA exempted many Great Lakes ships from installing invasive protection equipment on ballast systems, and new invasives are seizing the opportunity

elpc.org

Thank you @durbin.senate.gov and @duckworth.senate.gov for standing up for public health and clean water! www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/pre...

Durbin, Duckworth, Markey, Booker Lead Letter Slamming New Trump EPA Rule That Deregulates Coal Ash Clean Up | U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois

The Official U.S. Senate website of Dick Durbin

durbin.senate.gov

Victory! After years of advocacy, Chicago City Council just voted 38-10 to save and fix the intercity bus terminal. This brings the City of Chicago’s intercity bus service into the future and solidifies our place as a major transportation hub in the Midwest. elpc.org/news/chicago...

Chicago nearly lost its downtown intercity bus station in 2024 - until the public fought for a temporary solution. Now, a long-term fix is within reach, once City Council approves this June 10 & 17! Tell your Alderman to save & fix the station elpc.org/take-action-...

New blog from senior policy advocate Derrick James on fed transpo bill: "If it passes, we’ll return to the constant teetertottering ups and downs of annual appropriations that make it harder to build the trains Americans deserve. That’s no way to run a railroad." elpc.org/blog/congres...

Congress, White House All Talk, No Action on Passenger Trains

Congress' new reauthorization proposal puts passenger rail future on shaky ground

elpc.org

The Roadless Rule is one of the most important conservation measures in history - and it could soon be repealed. The Forest Service may not hold a single public meeting, so our community is hosting our own. Rhinelander, WI June 4th 6:30pm CT www.facebook.com/events/82627...

Next Friday we'll be on the rooftop of Navy Pier celebrating the impact of ELPC with hundreds of friends - and featured guest Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. Will we see you there? Tickets and event info: elpc.org/events/elpc-...

New transportation bill would be a wrong turn for America. We have real concerns about the proposed federal transportation reauthorization being introduced this week ("Build America 250 Act") and what it could mean for our climate, mobility, and future. Key takeaways 🧵 elpc.org/news/elpc-di...

ELPC Disappointed by Federal Transportation Reauthorization Package | Environmental Law & Policy Center

elpc.org

Webinar Today! #GreatLakes water levels shape our shorelines, communities, infrastructure, ecosystems, and economy. Join us at Noon CT, 1pm ET to discuss the current state of Great Lakes water levels with Dr. Drew Gronewold, of the University of Michigan. 🌊 act.elpc.org/4dgjk6H

REGISTER: The Current State of Great Lakes Water Levels

Please join us our annual ELPC Thinks discussion on the current state of Great Lakes water levels with Dr. Drew Gronewold. Dr. Gronewold is an associate professor of environment and sustainability a...

act.elpc.org

Last week, our legal team joined @iaenvironment.bsky.social and @elpcenter.bsky.social in suing Trump’s EPA for removing seven waterways from Iowa’s Impaired Waters List – a move that was a slap in the face to the thousands of Iowans facing cancer-linked nitrate pollution. https://fwwat.ch/4nxhcfx

Nitrate pollution in drinking water is a serious public health concern. A new Iowa report links it to rising cancer rates. Industrial agriculture is a primary source. 83 groups, including ELPC, are calling for urgent federal action. https://act.elpc.org/49okyvt

83 Groups Call On HHS, EPA To Take Emergency Action on Industrial Agriculture’s Nitrate Pollution Crisis | Environmental Law & Policy Center

elpc.org

Data centers are driving a surge in Midwest energy demand. In IL, projected demand exceeds ComEd’s historic peak. This Earth Day, the stakes are clear: who pays, how it’s powered, and how communities are protected. 3 priorities to get it right: https://act.elpc.org/3QvYo3V

3 Clean Energy Priorities for Midwest Data Centers | ELPC

Across the region, policymakers are now writing the rules that will shape how this growth plays out for electric grids, climate goals, and household energy bills.

act.elpc.org

Flooding forced evacuations in northern Michigan as dams were pushed to their limits. Safe dam stewardship requires strong oversight. Consumers Energy’s plan to sell 13 dams to out-of-state private equity raises real safety concerns. This sale should not move forward. https://act.elpc.org/4tczmVZ

Cheboygan Dam Failure Could Imperil Thousands in Northern Michigan

A levee breach near Cheboygan had forced evacuations and officials continue to monitor a nearby dam. Rain and snowmelt have affected the area.

act.elpc.org

Illinois wetlands protect our communities. They reduce flooding, keep drinking water clean, and support wildlife. But federal rollbacks have left many wetlands at risk. https://act.elpc.org/41iMkW0

5 Reasons Illinois Must Act Now to Protect Wetlands

Wetlands are an essential ecosystem for communities and wildlife across Illinois. Protecting them is more important than ever.

elpc.org

Mercury pollution from power plants dropped 90% under federal standards. Now the Trump EPA wants to roll them back and allow more toxic pollution into our air. https://act.elpc.org/4bG62ku

Coalition Sues Trump EPA Over Illegal Repeal of Mercury and Air Toxics Standards | Environmental Law & Policy Center

act.elpc.org

72% of Illinois wetlands are no longer protected. That puts clean water, diverse ecosystems, and communities at risk. Tell Illinois lawmakers to pass the Wetlands Protection Act: https://act.elpc.org/4bSMbxw

Take Action: Protect Illinois’ Wetlands | Environmental Law & Policy Center

act.elpc.org

The ICC took a first step to address data center risks, with new protections and a deeper investigation ahead. But more is needed. Data centers should bring their own clean energy and infrastructure, not shift costs onto Illinois customers. https://act.elpc.org/4lHA0YM

ICC Orders Investigation into Data Center Risks in ComEd Case | ELPC

act.elpc.org

Energy bills are rising. The Energy Bills Relief Act would help lower costs by restoring clean energy tax credits, a smart step toward affordability, reliability, and cleaner air. https://act.elpc.org/4rHnNol

Energy Bills Relief Act’s Restoring Tax Credits Is Step in the Right Direction | ELPC

act.elpc.org

We’re challenging a federal order forcing two Indiana coal plants to stay open. It could cost ratepayers millions, increase pollution, and override years of planning, even though cleaner, cheaper energy is available. Midwest communities shouldn’t pay for this. https://act.elpc.org/3PHBMwR

Groups Challenge Illegal Order Halting the Retirement of Indiana Power Plants | ELPC

elpc.org

A 73-year-old oil pipeline runs through the Straits of Mackinac, and a proposed tunnel could keep it operating for decades. Today the Michigan Supreme Court heard challenges to the approval of Enbridge’s Line 5 oil tunnel. We urged the Court to require a full review. https://act.elpc.org/410xfbi

Environmental Groups, Tribes Argue Before MI Supreme Court Challenging Enbridge’s Proposed Oil Tunnel | Environmental Law & Policy Center

elpc.org

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing large-scale logging across tens of thousands of acres in Michigan’s Ottawa National Forest. These public lands provide critical wildlife habitat and recreation for Midwest communities. https://act.elpc.org/4dcnDS6

Large-scale logging project in western UP alarms environmental groups

About 25,000 acres would be clear-cut with some trees left to provide seeds and animal habitat, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

act.elpc.org

Consumers Energy says regulators must approve its plan to sell 13 Michigan dams to private equity as-is or the utility will decommission them. Customers deserve better than an all-or-nothing ultimatum. https://act.elpc.org/4ltdO4F

Consumers warns Michigan: Dams could be torn down unless utility sells them - Bridge Michigan

Critics warn the deal lacks safeguards to protect ratepayers and the public. But utility officials said they’d sooner decommission the dams than negotiate new terms.

act.elpc.org

Chicago families are already stretched by rising utility bills. Now People’s Gas wants to more than double annual spending on pipe replacements, locking in higher costs for decades. There are lower-cost, safer alternatives. Pipe replacement should be a last resort. https://act.elpc.org/47gteD5

Affordable Alternatives to Pricey Gas Line Replacements

People's Gas should only do pipe replacement as the last resort, ensuring that lower cost, lower risk alternatives have been reasonably ruled out.

act.elpc.org

A massive logging project in the Ottawa National Forest could impact endangered species and remove mature forests that help stabilize our climate. We are urging a closer environmental review before this moves forward. https://act.elpc.org/4snEWUT

US plans to clear-cut in Michigan forest. Some fear for endangered species - Bridge Michigan

The US Forest Service is proposing a project in the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that would involve logging, gravel mining expansion and forest restoration efforts.

bridgemi.com

Breaking: Trump’s EPA just repealed updated Mercury & Air Toxics Standards, allowing coal plants to emit more mercury, heavy metals & soot. With so many coal plants in the Midwest, our communities will feel the impact. We will fight to defend clean air. https://act.elpc.org/4rTQ6QW

EPA Dismantles Protections for Mercury and Air Toxics From Power Plants | ELPC

act.elpc.org

Consumers Energy wants to sell 13 dams for $1 each. Testimony before the Michigan Public Service Commission confirms the private equity buyer could turn around and resell them. Michigan’s rivers aren’t assets to flip. https://act.elpc.org/4tFWXyU

Hydro deal would let private buyer flip Consumers Energy dams

In testimony, Michigan utility regulators say the proposed sale of 13 hydro dams to a Maryland private equity firm includes no ban on future resale or requirements to operate dams for the full 30-year...

act.elpc.org