SierraScape September 2014 - February 2015
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by Sara Edgar, MSW
Contributing Member
EMG Chapter
Summer 2014 has been a victorious time for the Missouri Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign. After two years of calling for Ameren to move beyond coal, they have taken the first critical step - announcing the eventual retirement of Meramec, their oldest coal-fired power plant in 2022. There is still a lot of work before us, as we will continue to call for an earlier retirement date, as well as a safe and just closure plan to ensure that the coal ash disposal ponds do not create a toxic legacy in South St. Louis County.
Despite a long road still in front of us, this is an exciting time and an indication that our continued efforts are paying off. Ameren has been reluctant to acknowledge our perspective and admit the need to begin coal plant retirements. However, with this announcement, Ameren is changing its tune, admitting that the plant is old and inefficient, a danger to its workers, and ultimately unnecessary to operate.
The retirement of the Meramec coal plant is a victory for our entire region - it is the first step in Ameren beginning to transition off of coal and it will mean cleaner air and water not only in St. Louis County, but across the metro area and particularly in Jefferson County where the plant has been found to be contributing to monitored air violations. With continued pressure, we can ensure that Ameren commits to greater investments in clean energy and further coal reductions in other parts of our region as well.
The tides seem to be turning in Missouri. More and more people are speaking out against coal and public perspective seems to be shifting. July not only brought us this victory, but it brought us many more across the state. Labadie Environmental Organization won one of their court cases and across the state in Independence, Missouri our members helped secure the passage of a City Council resolution calling for the retirement of two of the city's coal plants. All our hard work is paying off and now we are on a roll. The next step is encouraging other cities and counties in Eastern Missouri to pass similar resolutions calling for moving beyond coal. We encourage all our members to help us lead the efforts to address coal pollution in Missouri. For more information about how to get involved and how to pass a resolution in your community, email Sara at sara.edgar@sierraclub.org