Environmental Law and Policy Center

Financial challenges in the coal industry have raised the potential that coal mine reclamation will not happen or that taxpayers will bear the restoration costs when companies go bankrupt, as many have over the last few years. This grant to the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) will support its efforts to ensure coal companies honor their reclamation obligations and that taxpayers are protected from paying clean-up costs. ELPC will educate decision-makers on the need for stronger regulations at the state and federal levels that will ensure coal mine reclamation without taxpayer liability, provide in-depth materials to the media, and engage leading legal experts in its efforts to protect the public.

With support from Hewlett, the Environmental Law and Policy Center will continue its work throughout the Midwest in support of clean energy, clean air, and clean transportation. The Center’s work in complex regulatory processes is helping retire coal plants and create space for clean, renewable energy to replace it. Hewlett has identified the Midwest—where most of our oldest and dirtiest plants are located—as an important geography for transitioning from coal to cleaner energy.