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Non-profit

Southern Environmental Law Center

Website:

www.southernenvironment.org
Location:

Charlottesville, VA
Tax ID:

52-1436778
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2018):

Revenue: $47,016,574
Expenses: $27,768,510
Assets: $119,095,278
Formation:

1986
Executive Director:

Jeff Gleason
Type:

Litigation Non-Profit

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is a left-of-center litigation group that opposes energy infrastructure projects in the southeastern United States. It receives substantial funding from the Foundation for the Carolinas and other left-of-center environmentalist institutional grantmakers.

SELC has opposed the use of zero carbon nuclear energy in Georgia, 1 2 North Carolina, 3 and Virginia. 4

The SELC employs more than 70 attorneys across ten offices located in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C. 5 It has been involved in numerous high-profile lawsuits that have increased regulations on energy production, prevented off-shore drilling, and halted road construction. The organization opposes many of the Trump administration’s environmental deregulations.

Activity

Opposition to Coal

Southern Environmental Law Center has supported legislation and filed lawsuits to prevent the expansion of the coal industry and to increase environmental regulations on existing plants. In December 2000, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Duke Energy after the company modified a dozen coal plants allegedly without abiding by Clean Air Act environmental regulations. A few years later, in response to the George W. Bush administration’s easing of environmental regulations, the SELC took over the lawsuit’s prosecution on behalf of the Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, and Environment North Carolina. 6

In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled against Duke Energy. The Court required Duke (along with American Electrical Power) to pay a multi-billion-dollar settlement, shut down three coal plants, and retrofit the remaining plants up to current regulatory standards. As of 2015, Duke Energy has fulfilled its settlement. 7

The SELC claims that due to the enforcement of regulations, since 2007, carbon dioxide emissions from electric power have dropped by 29% in the southeast US. 8

Offshore Drilling

The SELC opposes all offshore drilling in the southeast United States and uses lobbying and community organization to pressure politicians into blocking offshore construction efforts. 9 The organization claims responsibility for the Obama administration stopping all seismic exploration and offshore leasing in the southeast in 2006. 10

North Carolina Route 540

In 2018, on behalf of N.C. Department of Transportation and Sound Rivers, Center for Biological Diversity, and Clean Air Carolina, the SELC filed a lawsuit against the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The suit charged that the Service failed to uphold its legal obligations by approving the N.C. Transit Authority’s expansion of State Route 540 through a creek which housed two endangered mussel species. 11

The next year, the suit settled with the North Carolina Transit Authority agreeing to implement numerous new environmental regulations to offset the impact of the highway’s expansion. 12

Trump Administration

The SELC has put special attention on opposing the Trump administration’s environmental deregulatory efforts. 13

In 2019, the SELC filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for violating the 2015 Clean Water Rule. The Trump administration narrowed the rule’s parameters to allow for fewer environmental regulations on the industrial use of public waterways. The SELC intends to secure application of the Obama administration regulations through a victory in the courts. 14

After the Obama administration stopped offshore drilling, the Trump administration has spoken out in favor of resuming prospecting and drilling offshore. The SELC is preparing to oppose the Trump administration’s unreleased 5-year offshore leasing plan which will likely contain the southeast within its parameters. 15

The SELC opposes the Trump administration’s proposed federal budget cuts of $2.4 billion to passenger rail and alternative-energy busses,16 and the administration’s changes to Endangered Species Act regulations. 17

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

SELC has repeatedly criticized and opposed nuclear power generation and promoted instead weather dependent wind and solar energy systems. 18 Examples of SELC’s anti-nuclear advocacy have occurred in Georgia, 19 20 North Carolina, 21 and Virginia. 22

Nuclear power plants produce no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions, and as of 2021 accounted for 19 percent of American electricity production—the largest source of zero carbon electricity in the United States. 23 An October 2018 proposal from The Nature Conservancy noted that zero-carbon nuclear plants produced 7.8 percent of total world energy output and recommended reducing carbon emissions by increasing nuclear capacity to 33 percent of total world energy output. 24

Lobbying

The Southern Environmental Law Center engages in lobbying to support federal bills, mostly laws to increase environmental regulations. Up until 2015, lobbying was a small part of the organization’s affairs, amounting to no more than $58,000 in any single year. In 2016, the SELC greatly increased its lobbying efforts by spending $270,000. Over the following three years, the organization spent between $320,000 and $430,000 per year on lobbying. 25

Donors

Three of the eleven seats on the Southern Environmental Law Center’s President’s Council belong to billionaire Fred Stanback, his wife Alice Stanback, and his son, Bradford Stanback. 26 Fred Stanback is a “known proponent of anti-humanist environmentalism”27 who supports population controls and strict immigration restrictions. 28 Stanback is a large-sum donor to dozens of left-of-center groups. His largest recipients last year, each of which received at least $1 million, include the SELC, the Sierra Club Foundation, multiple Planned Parenthood funds, the Rocky Mountain Institute, and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. 29

Stanback is one of the largest account holders30 in the Foundation for the Carolinas, a donor-advised fund that manages more than $2.5 billion worth of assets for 3,000 charitable families, individuals, and organizations. 31 Historically, the Foundation has given more than a third of its donations to left-of-center causes supported by Stanback. The SELC has been the single-largest recipient of the Foundation’s donations since 1997. From 2001 to 2017, the Foundation gave a total of over $175 million to the SELC. 32

From 2007 to 2014, the SELC received almost $4.5 million across 11 grants from the Energy Foundation, a “passthrough” organization which funnels charitable donations towards left-of-center environmentalist political causes. 33

In 2011, the SELC received $375,000 from the Kresge Foundation, a left-of-center advocacy group that supports illegal immigration and aggressive environmental regulations. 34

In 2015, the SELC received $105,000 from the Oak Hill Fund, a left-of-center grantmaking foundation based in Charlottesville. 35

In 2016, the SELC received two separate grants of $375,000 from the Bloomberg Family Foundation,36 billionaire former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s grantmaking foundation which primarily gives to left-of-center causes. The SELC also received $500,000 from the Robertson Foundation,37 a left-of-center environmentalist grant-making group founded by fund investor Julian H. Robertson Jr. In same year, the SELC received $15,000 from the William B. Wiener Jr. Foundation, the private grantmaking foundation of liberal activist, William B. Weiner Jr. 38

In 2017, the SELC received $65,000 from the Falconwood Foundation,39 a left-of-center grantmaking foundation run by investor Henry G. Jarecki. The SELC also received $165,000 from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, a left-of-center grantmaking foundation. 40

From 2017-2019, the SELC received $750,000 from the WestWind Foundation,41 a nonprofit grantmaking foundation which supports pro-abortion and environmentalist groups. Edward M. Miller, a member of the SELC’s board of trustees, is an investment manager at Westwind. 42

In 2018, the SELC received $80,000 from the Turner Foundation,43 a grantmaking foundation founded by Ted Turner which tends to donate to left-of-center environmentalist causes. The SELC also received a currently undisclosed grant from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation,44 a left-of-center grantmaking foundation established from the R.J. Reynolds tobacco fortune. David L. Neal, a senior attorney at the SELC, sits on the Foundation’s board of trustees. 45

In 2019, the SELC received $25,000 from the Conservation Alliance, a left-of-center grantmaking foundation that funds environmentalist efforts to block energy projects. 46

References

  1. “Georgia’s Plant Vogtle Unit 3 begins ‘commercial operation.’” Southern Environmental Law Center. July 31, 2023. https://www.southernenvironment.org/press-release/georgias-plant-vogtle-unit-3-begins-commercial-operation/
  2. “Court Again Rules that Flawed Decision to Continue Vogtle Project May Not be Challenged Until Project is Finished.” Southern Environmental Law Center. April 21, 2020. Accessed August 16, 2023. https://www.southernenvironment.org/press-release/court-again-rules-that-flawed-decision-to-continue-vogtle-project-may-not-be-challenged-until-project-is-finished/
  3. “Clean energy advocates propose lower-cost, lower-emission carbon plan option.” Southern Environmental Law Center. July 21, 2022. Accessed August 16, 2023. https://www.southernenvironment.org/press-release/clean-energy-advocates-propose-lower-cost-lower-emission-carbon-plan-option/
  4. “SELC statement on Dominion Integrated Resource Plan.” Southern Environmental Law Center. May 3, 2023. Accessed August 16, 2023. https://www.southernenvironment.org/press-release/selc-statement-on-dominion-integrated-resource-plan/
  5. “Offices and Staff.” SELC. Accessed February 23, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/about-selc/offices.
  6. “Landmark Carolina Coal Plant Pollution Case Settles.” Southern Environmental Law Center. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/news-and-press/press-releases/landmark-carolina-coal-plant-pollution-case-settles.
  7. “Landmark Carolina Coal Plant Pollution Case Settles.” Southern Environmental Law Center. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/news-and-press/press-releases/landmark-carolina-coal-plant-pollution-case-settles.
  8. “Greatest Hits.” Southern Environmental Law Center. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/about-selc/greatest-hits.
  9. “#protectourcoasts.” Southeastern Environmental Law Center. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/protect-our-coast-now.
  10. “Greatest Hits.” Southern Environmental Law Center. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/about-selc/greatest-hits.
  11. Strandling, Richard. “Environmentalists sue federal agency to stop NC 540.” The News & Observer. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article211675654.html.
  12. Burns, Matthew. “Lawsuit settlement clears the way for DOT to finish NC 540 loop.” WRLA.com. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.wral.com/lawsuit-settlement-clears-way-for-dot-to-finish-nc-540-loop/18585534/.
  13. “SELC Responds to the Trump Administration.” Southern Environmental Law Center. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/federalattacks.
  14. “We just sued to protect clean water.” Southern Environmental Law Center. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/news-and-press/news-feed/we-just-sued-to-protect-clean-water.
  15. “#protectourcoasts.” Southeastern Environmental Law Center. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/protect-our-coast-now.
  16. “Trump budget threatens key transportation investments.” Southern Environmental Law Center. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/news-and-press/news-feed/trump-budget-threatens-key-transportation-investments.
  17. “SELC condemns administration plan to dismantle Endangered Species Act.” Southeastern Environmental Law Center. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/news-and-press/news-feed/selc-condemns-administration-plan-to-dismantle-endangered-species-act.
  18. “New report shows solar, energy efficiency outcompete nuclear in meeting Georgia’s energy needs.” Southern Environmental Law Center. May 12, 2017. Accessed August 16, 2023. https://www.southernenvironment.org/news/new-report-shows-solar-energy-efficiency-outcompete-nuclear-for-meeting-geo/
  19. “Georgia’s Plant Vogtle Unit 3 begins ‘commercial operation.’” Southern Environmental Law Center. July 31, 2023. https://www.southernenvironment.org/press-release/georgias-plant-vogtle-unit-3-begins-commercial-operation/
  20. “Court Again Rules that Flawed Decision to Continue Vogtle Project May Not be Challenged Until Project is Finished.” Southern Environmental Law Center. April 21, 2020. Accessed August 16, 2023. https://www.southernenvironment.org/press-release/court-again-rules-that-flawed-decision-to-continue-vogtle-project-may-not-be-challenged-until-project-is-finished/
  21. “Clean energy advocates propose lower-cost, lower-emission carbon plan option.” Southern Environmental Law Center. July 21, 2022. Accessed August 16, 2023. https://www.southernenvironment.org/press-release/clean-energy-advocates-propose-lower-cost-lower-emission-carbon-plan-option/
  22. “SELC statement on Dominion Integrated Resource Plan.” Southern Environmental Law Center. May 3, 2023. Accessed August 16, 2023. https://www.southernenvironment.org/press-release/selc-statement-on-dominion-integrated-resource-plan/
  23. “Nuclear explained.” U.S. Energy Information Administration. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/us-nuclear-industry.php
  24. “The Science of Sustainability.” The Nature Conservancy. October 13, 2018. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/the-science-of-sustainability/
  25. “Southern Environmental Law Center: Lobbying Totals, 1998-2019.” Open Secrets. Accessed February 23, 2020. https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/lobby.php?id=D000056959.
  26. “Board of Trustees.” Southern Environmental Law Center. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/about-selc/board-of-trustees.
  27. Crocker, Brittany. “Headache powder billionaire donates big to small group creating migraines for TVA.” Knoxville News. Accessed February 23, 2020. https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2018/04/06/tva-target-group-funded-headache-powder-billionaire-fred-stanback/461636002/.
  28. Braun, Ken. “’Anti-Humanist Environmentalism’ and the Foundation for the Carolinas.” Capital Research Center. Accessed February 23, 2020. https://capitalresearch.org/article/anti-humanist-environmentalism-and-the-foundation-for-the-carolinas/.
  29. Braun, Ken. “’Anti-Humanist Environmentalism’ and the Foundation for the Carolinas.” Capital Research Center. Accessed February 23, 2020. https://capitalresearch.org/article/anti-humanist-environmentalism-and-the-foundation-for-the-carolinas/.
  30. Tanfani, Joseph. “Sessions’ allies on opposition to immigration have their roots in population control efforts.” Los Angeles Times. January 10, 2017. Accessed February 23, 2020. https://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-trailguide-updates-201701-htmlstory.html#sessions-allies-on-opposition-to-immigration-have-their-roots-in-population-control-efforts.
  31. “About Us.” Foundation for the Carolinas. Accessed February 23, 2020. https://www.fftc.org/what_is_fftc.
  32. Data compiled by FoundationSearch.com subscription service, a project of Metasoft Systems, Inc., from forms filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Queries conducted May 1, 2019.
  33. “Southern Environmental Law Center – SELC.” Mapping the Left. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.mappingtheleft.com/group/southern-environmental-law-center-selc/.
  34. “Grants Awarded.” The Kresge Foundation. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://kresge.org/grant/southern-environmental-law-center.
  35. “Return on Organization Exempt from Taxes 2015 (Form 990).” ProPublica. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/311810011/2016_09_PF%2F31-1810011_990PF_201512.
  36. “Return on Organization Exempt from Taxes 2017 (Form 990).” ProPublica. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/205/205602483/205602483_201712_990PF.pdf.
  37. “Return on Organization Exempt from Taxes 2015 (Form 990).” ProPublica. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://pp-990.s3.amazonaws.com/2016_10_PF/13-7068398_990PF_201511.pdf?response-content-disposition=inline&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA266MJEJYTM5WAG5Y%2F20200224%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20200224T195211Z&X-Amz-Expires=1800&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=e77234f36d7419453fc1b268b8bb2cb2a1275aac759ddaf49fef3a73ab322e5b.
  38. “Return on Organization Exempt from Taxes 2016 (Form 990).” ProPublica. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://pp-990.s3.amazonaws.com/2016_08_PF/72-6024398_990PF_201512.pdf?response-content-disposition=inline&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA266MJEJYTM5WAG5Y%2F20200224%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20200224T201059Z&X-Amz-Expires=1800&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=f9cf532042bd9807c5e6614d369edb3dcb6fd4fa6d74c9716ac43e24797db6ba.
  39. “Return on Organization Exempt from Taxes 2017 (Form 990).” ProPublica. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/133456475/02_2019_prefixes_11-13%2F133456475_201712_990PF_2019022816132299.
  40. “2017 Annual Report.” Mott Foundation. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.mott.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Mott-Foundation-2017-Annual-Report.pdf.
  41. “Recent Grants: Environment Program.” WestWind Foundation. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.westwindfoundation.org/recent-grants/environment/#2018.
  42. “Board of Trustees.” Southern Environmental Law Center. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.southernenvironment.org/about-selc/board-of-trustees.
  43. “2018 Turner Foundation Awarded Grants.” Turner Foundation. Accessed February 24, 2020. http://www.turnerfoundation.org/files/documents/2018TurnerFoundationAwardedGra04102018141015.pdf.
  44. “ZSR Trustees Announces Fall 2018 Grant Awards.” Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.zsr.org/articles/zsr-trustees-announces-fall-2018-grant-awards.
  45. “Board of Trustees.” Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.zsr.org/trustees.
  46. “Grants.” The Conservation Alliance. Accessed February 24, 2020. https://www.conservationalliance.com/grants/defending-nepa/.

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. James Gustave Speth
    Advisory Board Member
  2. Fred Stanback
    Donor
  3. Jonathan Rosen
    Consultant
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: March - February
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 1986

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2018 Mar Form 990 $47,016,574 $27,768,510 $119,095,278 $771,017 N $44,811,460 $135,598 $2,064,459 $1,475,791 PDF
    2017 Mar Form 990 $37,651,474 $26,551,471 $95,406,749 $688,814 N $35,875,013 $150,748 $1,389,136 $1,374,900 PDF
    2016 Mar Form 990 $35,398,817 $22,279,867 $79,294,547 $636,378 N $34,321,929 $92,828 $991,374 $1,551,009 PDF
    2015 Mar Form 990 $39,032,095 $20,811,748 $67,930,031 $931,515 N $38,106,261 $169,346 $798,585 $1,558,889 PDF
    2014 Mar Form 990 $23,854,021 $17,097,949 $47,377,045 $673,790 N $22,991,268 $143,625 $659,204 $1,453,149 PDF
    2013 Mar Form 990 $17,080,406 $14,192,984 $37,740,070 $743,272 N $16,503,385 $38,507 $476,664 $1,002,369 PDF
    2012 Mar Form 990 $13,810,182 $12,084,350 $32,743,247 $608,113 N $12,662,422 $358,877 $539,420 $1,094,110 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Southern Environmental Law Center


    Charlottesville, VA