The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal

ELPC News February 2005:

Dear Daniel Stafford,

1. Governor Blagojevich Announces 3,000 Megawatt Renewable
     Energy Standard for Illinois!

2. ELPC Protecting Wisconsin's North Woods

3. Take Action Now to Protect Our Clean Air

4. Support the Environmental Law & Policy Center

5. ELPC and Colleagues: Iowa Needs to Comply the with Clean
     Water Act

6. New Rigorous Water Pollution Permit Limits for Wauconda, IL

7. Help Save Amtrak

8. ELPC Welcomes Attorney and Former State Representative
     Ricca Slone as New ELPC Fellow

9. Eco-Tip
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Governor Blagojevich Announces 3,000 Megawatt Renewable Energy
  Standard for Illinois!

Declaring, "The time has come for Illinois to take a bold step
toward energy independence," Governor Rod Blagojevich sent a
proposal for a Sustainable Energy Plan to the Illinois Commerce
Commission on February 14th. The ambitious proposal calls for
both a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and an Energy
Efficiency Portfolio Standard. If implemented, the Renewable
Energy Standard would make Illinois the second biggest windpower
state in the country by 2012, and the Energy Effiencey Standard
would reduce annual load growth of electricity consumption by
25% by the year 2017.

The Governor announced his Sustainable Energy Plan as part of
his State of the State address. If you go to ELPC's website at
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/odaexc11TjC6/elpc and click on
(QuickTime video or MPEG video) in the lead story, you can watch
the one-minute excerpt from Governor Blagojevich's speech in
which he announces the plan, and you can read ELPC's press
release commending Governor Blagojevich on this important
announcement.

"We applaud Governor Blagojevich for this clean energy
initiative," said ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner. "Wind
power is good for jobs, good for rural economic development and
good for the environment. This is a key pro-environmental step
that will create good new jobs and spur rural economic
development in some of the places in Illinois that need it
most."
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ELPC Protecting Wisconsin's North Woods

ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner and Staff Attorney
Shannon Fisk presented oral arguments before the Federal
District Court in Milwaukee in late January and, then again, in
early February, on two of the lawsuits that ELPC filed against
the U.S. Forest Service to protect the Chequamegon-Nicolet
National Forest in Northern Wisconsin. Three proposed timber
sales (totaling nearly 25,000 acres of logging) and related
activities are causing harmful impacts on clean water, habitat,
biodiversity and threatened species in the forested areas.

The Chequamegon-Nicolet was identified as one of the "10 most
endangered national forests" in the nation in the recent
"Endangered Forests, Endangered Freedoms" report by 130
environmental groups. It is one of the most heavily-logged
national forests in the Eastern region (which stretches from
Minnesota to Maine). At the cutting rate employed over the last
10 years, every single logable acre would be cut in 45 years.
The harmful impacts of such extensive logging on waterways,
habitat and related natural resources and conservation goals are
significant.

ELPC filed the federal court lawsuits on behalf of the
Madison-based Habitat Education Center against the Forest
Service for violating the National Environmental Policy Act, the
National Forest Management act and the Endangered Species Act by
approving timber sales and logging activities in the Cayuga,
McCaslin and Northwest Howell project areas of the National
Forest. The cases are being heard by Federal District Court
Judge Lynn Adelman in the Eastern District of Wisconsin
(Milwaukee).

This is a vital case challenging the Bush Administration's
harmful natural resources policies and protecting Northern
Wisconsin rivers and lakes, biodiversity and key wildlife
habitat. This litigation clearly exemplifies the key differences
in natural resources protection values versus clearcutting in
large areas of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Slect
link (http://actionnetwork.org/ct/5paexc11-jZJ/chequamegon) to
read more.
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Take Action to Protect Our Clean Air

The Bush Administration announced recently plans to remove large
sections of the Clean Air Act and replace them with the
industry-friendly "Clear Skies" initiative. See the Chicago
Tribune's article at
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/o1aexc11TjCb/chicagotribune

The Bush Administration's proposed plan will allow 520% more
mercury pollution. In addition, the plan calls for loosening the
cap on NOx (smog), thus allowing 68% more NOx pollution.
Finally, the Bush plan weakens protections to allow 4.5 million
tons of SO2; (soot and acid rain) by 2010, thus allowing a 225%
increase of SO2 pollution.

This legislation will result in many steps in the wrong
direction. Select link
(http://actionnetwork.org/ct/Ydaexc11HjCY/cleanairact) to fax
your senators today, asking them to vote for truly healthier and
cleaner skies by voting against the so-called "clear skies"
initiative and keep the Clean Air Act in tact.
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Support the Environmental Law & Policy Center!

The Environmental Law & Policy Center is the Midwest's leading
environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation
organization. We develop and lead strategic advocacy campaigns
to protect natural resources and improve environmental quality.

Your donations ultimately make the difference in the success of
our work!

Visit our secure transaction server to donate
(http://actionnetwork.org/ct/Qpaexc11HjCl/donate). Thank You.

Or Send Your Donation by Check...

Please make checks payable to: Environmental Law & Policy Center
Mail your donation to:

Environmental Law & Policy Center
35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60601
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ELPC and colleagues: Iowa Needs to Comply with the Clean Water
Act

ELPC Senior Attorney Albert Ettinger and ELPC Environmental Law
Fellow Carrie LaSeur are representing the Iowa Environment
Council, the Hawkeye Flyfishing Association and Sierra Club in
working to bring Iowa water quality standards into compliance
with the Clean Water Act. Carrie and others recently presented
their case to the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission and
warned that they would take legal steps if the Iowa DNR fails to
meet the Clean Water Act in a reasonable time.

Select link
(http://actionnetwork.org/ct/Y7aexc11HjCT/desmoineregister) to
read, "Why Take So Long to Improve Iowa's Water Quality" in the
Des Moines Register.
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New Rigorous Water Pollution Permit Limits for Wauconda, IL

When the Wauconda wastewater treatment plant filed for a permit
to expand its facility, ELPC Senior Attorney Albert Ettinger
objected to the permit on behalf of the Sierra Club and Prairie
Rivers Network. Even though the permit was approved by the
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, ELPC appealed the
permit to the Pollution Control Board, arguing that the
increased waste would have harmful impacts on the Fiddle Creek
Wetland area and the Fox River.

The final permit now has strong environmental guidelines for
Wauconda's wastewater treatment plant - in fact, the facility
will test for more pollutants than any other facility in
Illinois. The settlement will protect the Fiddle Creek Wetland
area and the Fox River from phosphorus and other forms of
pollution and requires more rigorous testing of well and
groundwater.

Select link
(http://actionnetwork.org/ct/Q1aexc11HjCk/dailyherald) to
read, "Agreement reached on sewer expansion" in the Daily
Herald.
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Help Save Amtrak

Two weeks ago, we reported that President Bush has proposed to
eliminate all funding for Amtrak - a move that would eliminate
this important transportation alternative. We asked you to fax
your members of Congress to tell them to oppose the President's
plan. The response has been overwhelming. Already, ELPC
supporters have deluged Congress with almost 2,000 faxes, and it
is making a difference. Senator Durbin (D-IL) held a press
conference in Union Station blasting the proposal. Senator
Coleman (R-MN) has said that "we need to keep the trains running
in Minnesota, not just the Northeast." Thirty-five U.S. Senators
have signed a letter supporting Amtrak. But the fight is far
from over. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to keep
sending those faxes. They are making a difference. To send your
fax, please select the link
http://actionnetwork.org/ct/57aexc11-jZ-/amtrak.

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ELPC Welcomes Attorney and Former State Representative
Ricca Slone as New ELPC Fellow

The Environmental Law & Policy Center is pleased to announce
that Ricca Slone has joined us on a short-term basis as an ELPC
Fellow. Ricca will be working as a consultant on land use
planning, water supply and rural water quality and other issues.

Ricca recently completed eight years in the Illinois General
Assembly as a State Representative (Democrat) from the Peoria
area. She served as the Chair of the Appropriations Committee -
Higher Education and as a Vice Chair of the Environment and
Energy Committee. Ricca is an attorney who practiced in the
Peoria area and served as the Chair of the Illinois State Bar
Association's Environmental Law Section Council (1994 - 1995).

Ricca received her law degree from the University of Illinois
School of Law (1990), along with a graduate degree in Public
Administration from Ohio State University, and an undergraduate
degree in anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis,
Missouri.
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Eco-Tip: Use low mercury florescent light bulbs

You can reduce hazardous waste by making an effort to purchase
products that do not contain mercury. For lighting, low mercury
fluorescent bulbs and high pressure sodium lamps are two
examples of products that do not contribute to hazardous waste.
Readily available, national brands such as GE Lighting, Philips
Lighting, and Osram Sylvania, manufacture low mercury
fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent and high pressure sodium
lamps. ELPC uses Philips low mercury fluoescents in our office
space.

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