Posts tagged Clean Power Ordinance
Community Meeting for Coal Power Plant
Nov 28th
When: December 1st, 6 PM
Where: Cafe Catedral 2500 S. Christiana. Chicago, IL 60623
What: An event hosted by the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) to learn about what is happening with the Fisk and Crawford power plants. Come learn about how they affect the community, what is going on in the state and city level, and how you can get involved!
For more information:
Address: 2856 S. Millar Avenue, Chicago, IL 60623
Phone: (773) 762-6991
Email: info@lvejo.org
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Village-Environmental-Justice-Organization-LVEJO/92669819450#!/events/327936417222048/
Asthma Testing Event
Oct 14th
Who: Children 6-18 years old, their family
members, and other concerned residents
When: Tuesday, October 18th
Time: 3:00 pm-5:00pm
Where: Pilsen Academy, 1420 W 17th Street
What: Free asthma testing and education!
This Tuesday, the event will be held to teach the community about local pollution hazards and how they can harm our health and environment. There will be experts, doctors, local activisits, and community members talking about why we need to shut down Fisk and Crawford power plants to make the shift from dirty fuels to clean renewable energy. There will be FREE testing for youth asthma, education for families about medical options, and provision of necessary care.
Please RSVP to Graham Jordison at 712-790-1566 or graham@scc.org.
The Mayor is Involved
Oct 13th
An article in the Crain’s Chicago Business, assures the public that Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been active in the fight to shut down Fisk and Crawford coal-fired power plants in Chicago. Mayor Emanuel has expressed interest in backing a “clean energy for dirty energy” trade with Midwest Generation LLC with hopes to shut down or thoroughly clean up the plants. This is a great relief to environmental groups and local politicians who have been fighting for their shutdown because of their threats to the health of children.
This bill could be considered in legislation as early as October 25th (the upcoming veto session). The Clean Power Ordinance now has the backing of 35 co-sponsors to pass it in City Council. However, there are still some who have yet to be convinced. House Speaker Michael Madigan is in opposition because shutting down the coal plants and purchasing renewable wind-powered energy cost more and is harmful to ratepayers. Also, Commonwealth Edison Company has not expressed overwhelming support for switching to clean energy in Chicago.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has realized that this is a public health problem due to emissions of pollutants from the plants. He has already met with Edison International, parent company to Midwest Generation LLC, to begin negotiations to close the plant and knows this is an issue that needs to be solved.
Illinois Protesters in California
Oct 5th
Last month, Greenpeace arranged for members of the Chicago Clean Power Ordinance and residents from Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods to fly out to California. Pilsen and Little Village are located near the Fisk and Crawford power plants. The power plants have been polluting their neighborhoods for decades and the residents are taking a stand!
Why California? The power plants are run by Midwest Generation which is owned by a company in Rosemead, California called Southern California Edison. Greenpeace and the affected citizens would like to see Fisk and Crawford power plants shut down. They met with Edison employees present to 25,000 petitions.
Edison is known for it’s green and renewable practices. Currently, 20% of its energy delivered to customers comes from renewables (primarily geothermal and wind). Fisk and Crawford power plants have been equipped with pollution controls that meet or exceed all federal and state emission regulations. However, the people of Pilsen and Little Village are ready for clean air and are calling to an end of heart disease, asthma attack, and respiratory illness.
Read more at: Pasadena Star-News
Human Billboard for Mayor Emanuel
Sep 25th
On September 20th, students lined up to present a petition with over 5,000 signatures to Mayor Emanuel Rahm. The petition was written to support the passing of the Clean Power Ordinance for Chicago. This ordinance would greatly reduce the SO2 and CO2 emissions from Fisk and Crawford power plants located in the Chicago area.
One hundred Chicagoans were present for the delivery. In addition to handing over the document, they also presented a poster of Mayor Emanuel Rahm as a superhero saving his city from the pollution caused by coal plants. The group lined up that morning across the street from City Hall. Each individual held a sign; each a piece of the message to Mayor Rahm. Together, the group formed a human billboard clearly displaying their support for the Clean Power Ordinance. Mayor Rahm has expressed a negative attitude towards coal power plants which many hope will translate over to the action of passing the Clean Power Ordinance.
Image Credit: Clean Power Chicago
Alderman Rugai to Speak at Loyola University
Mar 23rd
Loyola University will be honoring retiring Alderwomen (Virginia Rugai, Vi Daley, Helen Shiller, and Mary Ann Smith) tomorrow evening as part of their The Ann F. Baum Women and Leadership Speaker Series. Students from ISEC and the Chicago Climate Youth Coalition will be in attendance to ask Alderman Rugai about her lack of support for the Chicago Clean Power Ordinance. Join us at this event, beginning at 7pm in the Mundelein Auditorium (1032 W. Sheridan Road).
For more information, visit their website.
Midwest Generation Delays Installation of Pollution Controls
Feb 25th
The Chicago Tribune recently ran the story “Power company holds off on cleaning up Chicago-area coal plants,” reporting that Midwest Generation has held off on upgrading pollution controls at the Little Village and Pilsen neighborhood coal-burning power plants. These are just two of six coal plants owned by the company.
The Fisk plant was built in 1903 and the Crawford plant in 1924. These coal-fire plants emit harmful pollutants into the air, including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. They are the source of toxic mercury that contaminates fish in the Great Lakes and other waterways, making coal-burning power plants harmful for both nearby residents as well as farther-reaching areas. Their effect can be found not only in humans, but in animals, land and water.
The Chicago Fisk and Crawford power plants sell their power to Pennsylvania, providing only a little power for Chicago during spikes in demand but putting vulnerable populations at risk for health problems such as asthma.
The Chicago Clean Power Coalition provides information about the plants and the Chicago Clean Power Ordinance, which seeks to address carbon and particulate emission.
Chicago Students Attend Clean Power Hearing
Feb 23rd
Over 35 students from five different Chicago-area schools joined 200 other Chicago residents Valentine’s Day morning at an ad-hoc hearing in City Hall for the Chicago Clean Power Ordinance. The Chicago Clean Power Ordinance would effectively shut down the Fisk and Crawford coal fired power plants in Pilsen and Little Village, whose soot emissions cause over 40 premature deaths per-year, and whose yearly carbon out-put equates to the emissions of 875,000 automobiles.
After 8 months of road-blocks to an official hearing before the Health and Energy Committees, the Chicago Clean Power Coalition resolved not to let Mayor’s Daley’s efforts to stall the Ordinance prevent the people’s voices from being heard. Alderman Moore, the Ordinance’s sponsor, heard over three hours of testimony from parents, doctors, citizens, scientists, lawyers, researchers, activists, and students. Before the hearing, students handed out Valentine’s Day candy and information about the Ordinance to people outside of City Hall.
Chicago Clean Power Ordinance Ad Hoc Hearing
Feb 15th
From the Environmental Law & Policy Center: An ad hoc City Council hearing on the Chicago Clean Power Ordinance drew hundreds of supporters on February 14th as physicians, economists, attorneys and community members made the case for the ordinance, which would clean up pollution from two coal plants in Chicago. Alderman Joe Moore, chief sponsor of the Clean Power Ordinance, convened the hearing after Daley Administration allies in the City Council postponed a planned City Council hearing for that date.
The Clean Power Ordinance is co-sponsored by 16 Aldermen and backed by the Chicago Clean Power Coalition, an alliance of over 50 health, community, labor, environmental and business groups. The ordinance was introduced in April 2010 and was referred jointly to the City Council’s Committee on Health and the Committee on Energy, Environmental Protection and Public Utilities. After months of delay, a Health Committee hearing was set for Feb 14th. However, Moore was informed that the hearing would be delayed indefinitely.
A 2010 report released by the Clean Air Task Force stated that the Fisk plant in Pilsen and the Crawford plant in Little Village are responsible for over 40 deaths and 720 asthma attacks annually. According to a 2010 research from the National Research Council and the Environmental Law & Policy Center, the coal plants are also responsible for over $127 million in public health costs every year.
“Chicago is still the asthma epicenter of the country. Our asthma hospitalization rate is nearly double the national average and as many as 44% of children have asthma in some Chicago neighborhoods,” said Brian Urbaszewski, Director of Environmental Health Programs at Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago.
There is more to see and read at Midwest Energy News, ABC News and Progress Illinois.