Environment

Federal Judge Orders Ameren To Install Air Pollution Controls At Two Power Plants

September 30, 2019

Ameren must install devices to remove harmful air pollutants at it’s plants in Festus and Labadie, thanks to a ruling from a federal judge on Monday, September 30. At the Women’s Voices April program, John Hickey, Chapter Director, Sierra Club Missouri cited research affirming that air pollution, primarily from coal-fired power plants, contributes to global warming and is a public health threat. Read more about the judge’s ruling here.

EPA approves plan to remove nuclear waste from West Lake Landfill after years of complaints

September 27, 2018

The chosen solution will remove about 70 percent of the site’s radioactivity and dispose of the waste at an out-of-state facility…The EPA will spend the next year and a half determining how to clean up the site, how to keep workers and the community safe, and exactly where the waste will go. During that time, agency officials will decide where to send 75,000 cubic yards of contamination and how exactly workers will be protected during excavation.  Learn more

To learn more about Westlake Landfill, watch the HBO.com documentary, Atomic Homefront.”

Clean Energy

Women’s Voices is a supporter of the Missouri Clean Energy Coalition whose mission is to grow our clean and renewable energy economy to reduce fossil fuel pollution, address climate change and create jobs.

Clean Air Missouri is a campaign of the Missouri Clean Energy Coalition (MCEC), which is a statewide coalition of stakeholders including elected officials, faith organizations, clean energy businesses, academic institutions, and environmental organizations who care about securing Missouri’s energy future, strengthening our economy and creating a healthy environment for all Missourians.

We are committed to ensuring the state develops a comprehensive, clean energy plan that will reduce carbon pollution, build a strong economy with quality jobs, create healthy air and secure an independent energy future for our state.

Member organizations and supporters include representatives from public health organizations, environmental groups, clean energy businesses, faith communities, academic institutions and elected officials.

MCEC members are organizations that designate a contact person to join the coalition’s coordinating committee, which include:

Public Transportation

Members of Women’s Voices believe that public transportation is an issue that involves social justice, economic justice, and environmental concerns. A comprehensive, responsive and robust system of public transportation is a necessity for citizens throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.  Individuals depend on public transportation to get to jobs, medical appointments and entertainment venues. Businesses depend on public transportation to get workers to their jobs. The elderly and disabled depend on public transportation to meet many of their needs.  Lack of efficient public transportation is also an environmental issue. More cars on more roads leads to greater fuel consumption and more greenhouse gas emissions, which results in additional air pollution and contributes to global warming.

On April 6, 2010, residents of St. Louis County voted to approve a ballot measure authorizing a half cent sales tax increase to provide operating funds for MetroBus, MetroLink and Call-A-Ride services.  Women’s Voices endorsed this measure. However, we believe that sales taxes, in general, are regressive and disproportionately affect low and moderate-income individuals. Although we endorsed the tax increase, we also called upon Metro and local, regional and state officials to investigate alternate methods of providing long-term, sustainable support for public transportation in Missouri.

Public Water Supply

In the Spring of 2013 St. Louis City officials began to explore the possibility of an agreement with Veolia Environment, a multi-national French corporation, to take over some operations of the St. Louis City Water Department. Women’s Voices, along with the the Missouri Coalition for the Environment and other groups, opposed this proposal. Veolia has a dismal track record after being involved in water operations in other cities. In Oct. 2013, after facing intense opposition, Veolia took itself out of consideration for the contract. We believe that we must always be on guard against attempts to privatize a city’s water supply or operations.

 Renewable Energy Standards

In February 2013 Women’s Voices signed a resolution in support of full implementation of Missouri’s Renewable Energy Standards. In 2008, voters passed the Renewable Energy Standards Act, which required utility companies to supply two percent of energy they sell to Missouri customers from renewable energy sources starting in 2011. That percentage gradually increased to five per cent by 2014, 10 per cent by 2018 and 15 per cent by 2021.