Press Releases

Pittsburgh, PA - The Sierra Club today issued a Notice of Intent to Sue NRG Energy and GenOn Americas Generation for failure to meet key Clean Air Act (CAA) and Pennsylvania State Implementation Plan (SIP) pollution protections at their Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale, PA. Via publicly available air quality monitoring data, Sierra Club has discovered that the Cheswick plant is emitting nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution at levels beyond those allowed in its operating permit, despite having available technology installed in the plant that should ensure that pollution protection requirements are met. NRG will have 60 days to respond to the notice.

The Bellingham City Council approved a resolution that establishes its commitment to a planning process that will assess the feasibility and pathways for getting to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.

After a series of backroom talks with Texas-based Dynegy, Governor Rauner’s Illinois EPA, is pushing to weaken Illinois air pollution standards in order to pad their own profits. In addition, Dynegy-Vistra is now also asking the state legislature for permission to raise rates on Central and Southern Illinois households, claiming that ratepayer-funded bailouts are needed to keep coal plants open due to the company’s financial hardship. However, the recent $20 billion merger between Dynegy and Vistra Energy tells a different story, as does a recent interview with Vistra’s CEO highlighted in Sierra Club’s video.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt designated 51 areas in the United States as out of compliance with the new, stronger smog pollution standard of 70 parts per billion, but omitted important areas that are likely out of compliance based on earlier scientific findings.

RICHMOND, Virginia -- In written comments today to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, Governor Northam stated that he would not support the EPA’s revisions to lessen protections for clean water from coal ash pollution. In addition, Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality made a commitment to maintain the strong safeguards against coal ash pollution in the state, despite potential weakening of federal regulations.

A Florida judge has ruled that Sierra Club, on behalf of its nearly 38,000 Florida members, can intervene in FPL’s request to build a fracked gas power plant in the Dania Beach community.

Contura Energy Inc. and Alpha Natural Resources Inc. announced today that the two coal mining companies have reached a “definitive merger agreement” that will re-merge the companies in order to try and compete in America’s declining coal industry.

Contura Energy Inc. and Alpha Natural Resources Inc. announced today that the two coal mining companies have reached a “definitive merger agreement” that will re-merge the companies in order to try and compete in America’s declining coal industry.

Sierra Club and clean water coalition partners submitted 56,703 comments today demanding EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt keep in place federal protections against toxic coal ash - the dangerous waste product of coal-fired power plants.