At April 17th’s Community Lunch, Nick Leonard spoke on winning a landmark $120 million judgment against DTE to protect the air quality of communities along the Detroit River.
What could be a better way to celebrate Earth Week than hearing about a recent clean air victory for Detroit? Nick Leonard, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center and long-time member of our sustainable Detroit coworking space, spoke at our April 17th community lunch about the recent federal court decision to hold the EES Coke Battery facility and DTE liable for increased air pollution coming from their Zug Island plant. GLELC joined the suit after it was initiated by the Department of Justice in 2022, representing the Sierra Club. The final decision was handed down in February of 2026. (Read excellent coverage of the case in Planet Detroit, another Green Garage business-in-residence.)
If you’ve felt frustrated lately, feeling like we are heading backwards with regards to the environment, Nick’s talk will give you renewed hope. Real progress often takes time, and because it happens incrementally, it is often underreported. But do not underestimate the impact of this story. Because of this ruling, life will become infinitely better for the Southwest Detroit, Ecorse, and River Rouge communities. We are so proud of Nick and the work he has done to make our corner of the world a healthier place.
Listen to Nick’s twelve-minute talk and review his slides below:
Please join us for our next community lunch on May 1st! Our old friend Ashley Atkinson will talk to us about the great work of Keep Growing Detroit, a local organization that supports gardeners and farmers across Detroit in order to cultivate a food sovereign city. All are welcome and lunch is provided free of charge. We hope to see you there! 12:00-1:00 at 4444 2nd Ave.