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MAJOR VICTORY: Late last month, EPA rejected Alabama’s dangerous coal ash permitting program, protecting our environment from toxic waste and potential disaster. Over 21 million tons of toxic coal ash filled with pollutants like arsenic and mercury sit on the banks of the Mobile River at Plant Barry. This toxic waste is submerged in groundwater and poses a significant threat to our communities and the globally significant wildlife of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. We couldn’t agree more with EPA’s assessment of the State of Alabama’s coal ash plan which they are denying, “because the state’s permit program is significantly less protective of people and waterways than federal law requires.” This great news continues some of SELC’s longest standing and most meaningful work. Across the South, we've pushed monopoly utilities to clean up over a quarter of a billion tons of coal ash and secured stronger state and federal-level protections for our communities. This monumental victory in Alabama wouldn’t have been possible without your voices. Thousands of you spoke out against this reckless plan, and the EPA listened. Together, we’re making our communities safer and our environment cleaner: https://lnkd.in/eZV_Z7PG

💧❓🇺🇸Nearly half of Americans depend on groundwater for their drinking water, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) , and it's not just well water that is threatened. A city's water supply, while treated and processed to make sure it meets federal standards, may still collect contaminants from gas leaks on its way to the tap. In some cases, this can happen when the water originates from an unregulated well — some cities get their drinking water from a mix of surface and #groundwater — or through cracked pipes. #water #waterscarcity #watercrisis #tech #watertech #startup #innovation #future #sustainability #environment #technology #investment #capital #research #unitednations #climatechange https://lnkd.in/giPkYMqK

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources has been granted the power to approve carbon capture wells by the EPA. While advocates of the move have hailed it as a crucial step towards progress, environmental groups warn of potential risks for low-income and Black communities living near the Mississippi River chemical corridor. Carbon capture boom may not be without consequences. #environmentaljustice #carboncapture #sustainability

Okay I have a question, when they prohibit a utility from passing the fine to customers in the form of higher rates, how exactly is the utility supposed to pay the fine? #askingforafriend #energy #policy #power #pollution #settlement

CLC attorneys are representing the Hoosier Environmental Council in a legal challenge to end contamination of the White River from leaking coal ash ponds at the AES-owned Eagle Valley power plant in Martinsville. Coal ash is the toxic waste left over from burning coal and is one of the largest industrial waste streams in the U.S. Second only to Texas, Indiana's power plants generate more coal ash every year than any other state. Indiana also has the most coal ash impoundments—massive, unlined holes in the ground—sitting in and contaminating the floodplains and shallow aquifers of our major rivers, like those at Eagle Valley. We applaud EPA's new rule, which expands the reach of regulation governing the disposal and cleanup of this waste. https://lnkd.in/g5gCks-S

Federal legislation that directly impacts our communities' health. Below are coal plants in the WORC region that, thanks to WORC and its members, are required by the new rules to clean up their coal ash: Montana Colstrip: At least 2 landfills J. E. Corette: At least 2 ponds and 1 unregulated landfill Lewis & Clark: At least 2 landfills North Dakota Antelope Valley: At least 1 landfill Coal Creek: At least 5 landfills Coyote: At least 3 landfills Leland Olds: At least 1 landfill Milton Young: At least 7 landfills RM Heskett: At least 1 landfill Stanton: At least 2 landfills WJ Neal: At least 1 pond Wyoming Naughton: At least 1 landfill Osage: At least 2 ponds and 2 landfills Wyodak: At least 1 pond and 1 landfill The Jim Bridger power plant in Wyoming has one landfill currently left unregulated. WORC and Powder River will continue working to get it added to the list in coming months.

Earlier this year, an investigative report by WTAE Pittsburgh Action News Investigates revealed the alarming incident of methane escaping from an abandoned gas well in Amber Norrid's front yard. Amber Norrid, a resident near the park, expressed her concerns to Action News Investigates, stating, "You can smell the gas, you can see the gas, you can see sheens in the water. Why?" Despite living with these issues, Norrid is still awaiting action from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to seal the wells on her property. This case is just one instance of the extensive problem of hundreds of thousands of abandoned wells across Pennsylvania, potentially leaking methane and jeopardizing local water quality. The most recent case study supported by CAES assesses the impact of these abandoned wells, specifically examining the release of methane and other pollutants into the water near these sites. Watch the investigation by visiting the https://lnkd.in/eVTjTa9B and read the case study at caes.info/case-studies . #environment #abandonedwells #oilandgas #pennsylvania #pa #methanegas #cleanair #cleanwater #pollution #environmentaljustice

#LastWeekInCongress: ✔️ Introduced in both chambers: the Streamlining Home Installations of New Energies (SHINE) Act (H.R.5997/S.3099) aims to accelerate the clean energy transition by streamlining the permitting and inspection processes for residents to install renewable energy and energy efficiency systems. ✔️ Introduced in the House: (H.R.5992) would expand insurance eligibility for farmers whose land has been impeded from cultivation due to natural disaster-induced damage, including drought. ✔️ Introduced in the House: the Clean Water Act of 2023 (H.R.5983) aims to clarify the meaning of “protected water resources” under the Clean Water Act of 1972 in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Catch up on all recent updates in Congress: https://ow.ly/3n6W50Q1GPz #Congress #SCOTUS #Farmers #CleanEnergy

A small but interesting amendment to the guidance on getting Permits for nutrient mitigation schemes. The amendment is this: "Under 'Wetland proposals' added 'groundwater levels and how they interact with other water features, protected habitats or abstractions' to the list of the potential impacts to assess. Also that you may need to consider other environmental aspects." This is good to see, because recognition of the risk to groundwater, and groundwater-dependent terrestrial ecosystems is essential, not only when we are talking about wetlands for nutrient capture, but for all infiltration devices, especially those treating runoff from high-risk surfaces. When Schedule 3 is enacted, there will be insufficient groundwater protection expertise in the SABs, and for areas with geological receptors such as chalk or limestone, this will be a massive risk. Someone needs to assess the risk of groundwater pollution when urban runoff is infiltrated to ground. Who will it be? https://lnkd.in/eS5_eJHB

“It is unfortunate that some state attorneys general are wasting taxpayer dollars on a meritless challenge to the rule, instead of rolling up their sleeves to help get these safeguards implemented to protect communities in their states from fossil fuel pollution.” –Gudrun Thompson, SELC Energy Program Leader Five of the six states in our region — Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia—filed a legal challenge to the Biden administrations historic protections from fossil fuel power plants. Addressing threats from the power sector is a critical step in fighting the climate emergency. These critical safeguards set limits on carbon pollution from power plants and will better protect Southern communities that are disproportionately affected by air pollution, and will limit climate pollution, bringing the nation closer to our goal of cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030.   Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eDHxXszW #CleanEnergy #ClimateChange