An amendment outlining the key provisions of the Clean Energy Jobs Act mentions “environmental justice” at least 30 times.
“We are getting pushback from communities that have coal plants that would be predicted to close under this,” said Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, a group promoting the Clean Energy Jobs Act. “They need to see the financial and environmental benefits from whatever we do.”
Bill aims to give communities a voice during EPA permitting process
Lawmakers that are pushing for this bill say it’ll give people more of a say on how facilities are handling pollution in their communities. However,