ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Advocacy and Education for Clean Power in Lake County
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Speakers: Celeste Flores and Dulce Ortiz
Clean Power Lake County organizes within frontline environmental justice communities to shift Lake County to healthy, renewable energy and to achieve the self-determination of immigrant, low-income, and working-class families. This community-driven coalition is committed to local action to secure environmental, economic, and racial justice. Learn about the power of this effort from the leaders of Clean Power Lake County.
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Speakers: Celeste Flores and Dulce Ortiz
Clean Power Lake County organizes within frontline environmental justice communities to shift Lake County to healthy, renewable energy and to achieve the self-determination of immigrant, low-income, and working-class families. This community-driven coalition is committed to local action to secure environmental, economic, and racial justice. Learn about the power of this effort from the leaders of Clean Power Lake County.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Celeste Flores, Co-Chair of Clean Power Lake County; Lake County Outreach Director, Faith in Place
Celeste Flores is the daughter of immigrant parents, she was born and raised in Lake County, Illinois, and has been a lifelong member of Most Blessed Trinity Parish. While a student at Bellarmine University in Kentucky, she saw the devastation of mountaintop removal and became involved in environmental justice. After graduation, she spent a year as an Americorp volunteer in Appalachia and then returned to Lake County, where she learned about local environmental justice efforts of Clean Power Lake County to ensure Waukegan a just transition away from the coal-fired plant on the shore of Lake Michigan. She currently serves as the Co-Chair of Clean Power Lake County. In 2017, Celeste was the recipient of a Gaudium et Spes award given by the Consejo Hispano Arquidiócesis de Chicago (Archdiocese of Chicago) at the Noche de Gala, an annual dinner recognizing leaders in Hispanic ministry in the Archdiocese. She was Senator Duckworth’s guest for the State of the Union in 2020. She currently serves as the Lake County Outreach Director for Faith in Place, where she is able to unite her passion for environmental justice with her faith to create a just and sustainable world for all people.
Celeste Flores is the daughter of immigrant parents, she was born and raised in Lake County, Illinois, and has been a lifelong member of Most Blessed Trinity Parish. While a student at Bellarmine University in Kentucky, she saw the devastation of mountaintop removal and became involved in environmental justice. After graduation, she spent a year as an Americorp volunteer in Appalachia and then returned to Lake County, where she learned about local environmental justice efforts of Clean Power Lake County to ensure Waukegan a just transition away from the coal-fired plant on the shore of Lake Michigan. She currently serves as the Co-Chair of Clean Power Lake County. In 2017, Celeste was the recipient of a Gaudium et Spes award given by the Consejo Hispano Arquidiócesis de Chicago (Archdiocese of Chicago) at the Noche de Gala, an annual dinner recognizing leaders in Hispanic ministry in the Archdiocese. She was Senator Duckworth’s guest for the State of the Union in 2020. She currently serves as the Lake County Outreach Director for Faith in Place, where she is able to unite her passion for environmental justice with her faith to create a just and sustainable world for all people.

Dulce Ortiz, Co-Chair of Illinois Clean Power; Executive Director of Mano a Mano
Dulce Ortiz is one of the co-chairs of Clean Power Lake County. This grassroots-volunteer led campaign, is a community-driven coalition committed to local action to secure environmental, economic, and racial justice. It is supported by several partners, including environmental, faith, and public health organizations.
She has worked tirelessly with Clean Power Lake County (CPLC) since 2013, after learning about the pollution from the Waukegan coal plant and how it contributed to poor air quality in Waukegan. Having a mother suffering from asthma, she understood the dangers of coal pollution and what it could do to someone’s quality of life. Dulce became even more determined to educate her community about the impacts of local coal pollution. Dulce testified before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Illinois Commission on Civil Rights, for their study on the civil rights implications associated with placing coal ash facilities near low income and minority communities. Dulce was also featured in the National Geographic Channel Emmy Award-winning documentary series "Years of Living Dangerously". The ‘Uprising’ season finale episode, is an inspiring story of Clean Power Lake County and Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. Last year, Dulce and Clean Power Lake County celebrated a groundbreaking victory with the passage of the Coal Ash Bill in Springfield. The legislation requires the establishment of stronger environmental rules around coal ash ponds, which are the structures that coal plants use to store waste from their operations.
Dulce’s passion and dedication comes from believing in community involvement, helping, and speaking up for those in need. Every day, she is grateful to God for giving her faith, courage, and strength to have the opportunity to work for a healthy and clean energy future for her children, Ivan and Soleil, and future generations to come.
Dulce Ortiz is one of the co-chairs of Clean Power Lake County. This grassroots-volunteer led campaign, is a community-driven coalition committed to local action to secure environmental, economic, and racial justice. It is supported by several partners, including environmental, faith, and public health organizations.
She has worked tirelessly with Clean Power Lake County (CPLC) since 2013, after learning about the pollution from the Waukegan coal plant and how it contributed to poor air quality in Waukegan. Having a mother suffering from asthma, she understood the dangers of coal pollution and what it could do to someone’s quality of life. Dulce became even more determined to educate her community about the impacts of local coal pollution. Dulce testified before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Illinois Commission on Civil Rights, for their study on the civil rights implications associated with placing coal ash facilities near low income and minority communities. Dulce was also featured in the National Geographic Channel Emmy Award-winning documentary series "Years of Living Dangerously". The ‘Uprising’ season finale episode, is an inspiring story of Clean Power Lake County and Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. Last year, Dulce and Clean Power Lake County celebrated a groundbreaking victory with the passage of the Coal Ash Bill in Springfield. The legislation requires the establishment of stronger environmental rules around coal ash ponds, which are the structures that coal plants use to store waste from their operations.
Dulce’s passion and dedication comes from believing in community involvement, helping, and speaking up for those in need. Every day, she is grateful to God for giving her faith, courage, and strength to have the opportunity to work for a healthy and clean energy future for her children, Ivan and Soleil, and future generations to come.