The Will Steger foundation would like to acknowledge and congratulate all of the youth organizers involved in the Chicago Clean Power Coalition on the announced closing of the Crawford and Fisk coal plants. Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) and the Illinois Student Environmental Coalition (ISEC) have been deeply involved in the Coalition and spent countless hours testifying at the State Legislature, organizing in front-line communities, documenting the public health impacts of both plants, and drawing public support for an end to these big polluters. LVEJO, an environmental justice organization based in the Little Village neighborhood on Chicago’s south side, released the following press release.

CHICAGO, IL—On Thursday, July 28th, Aldermen Joe Moore and Danny Solis re-introduced the Chicago Clean Power Ordinance to a newly elected City Council, with an impressive total of 35 co-sponsors (in Chicago, a city ordinance requires 26 votes and the signature of the mayor to become law) and with continued support from the Chicago Clean Power Coalition, a grassroots movement of more than 60 local community, health, and environmental organizations.