STATEMENTS REGARDING EPA ANNOUNCEMENT TO REJECT NEW COAL PLANT AT NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Brandon Knight, Global Exchange Midwest student organizer and co-founder of the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition:
"This is a huge victory for the Michigan student sustainability movement. When we heard about the coal plant being proposed at Northern Michigan University, we demanded clean energy alternatives. The EPA's rejection of the NMU coal plant sets the precedent that coal is no longer a viable option for our schools and for the state. Colleges are in a position to be at the forefront of clean energy technologies. Every single investment from this point forward needs to go into renewable energy industries, both for sustainable job growth and for the health of our communities. At Power Shift 09 we'll be using this victory to demonstrate to our representatives, which we helped to elect into office last November, that coal won't fly for Michigan."
Callie Youngman, Northern Michigan University student and member of the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition:
"The students here at Northern Michigan University are very excited about the EPA's decision to reject the NMU coal plant. We are looking forward to replacing coal with clean and renewable energy technologies and to seeing more green buildings on campus that reduce energy use. This decision shows that coal has no place on the NMU campus."
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