Kelly Thayer is a Senior Policy Advocate for the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC), a non-profit law firm. In his slide presentation Kelly provided an update on "New Wilderness, Old Pipelines and Power Plants to Parklands."
With a staff of about 40 lawyers, policy advocates and communicators, ELPC seeks to enact environmental change on climate, energy, air, water and transportation policy from the Great Lakes to the Great Plains.
In Michigan's Upper Peninsula ELPC and more than 400 Michigan organizations are working to keep the U.P. wild, preserving existing designated wilderness areas and asking Congress to add Wilderness protection to other areas that are almost entirely roadless. ELPC believes that a wilderness designation would not only protect wildlife, it would also build the local recreational economy.
ELPC also supports efforts to convert three Michigan power plants to parklands. The plants in question:
- J.H. Campbell Generating Plant in West Olive, owned by Consumers Energy
- Dan E.Karn Power Plant in Essexville, owned by Consumers Energy
- Trenton Channel Power Plant, owned by DTE Energy
Kelly also provided an update on the status of the pipeline litigation. The bottom line: the case is pending in a state court on appeal of an order of the Michigan Public Service Commission approving proposed changes to the pipeline.