Southern Environmental Law Center

“The form 990 was prepared by the outside accountants. The form 990 was distributed to all board members before filing. The board audit committee met and discussed the document with independent auditors, executive director, controller and general counsel.”

“The conflict of interest policy is a section of selc's code of ethics included in the employee's policies, and is provided to every employee as part of their orientation and is available on the company intranet. The conflict of interest policy is distributed to all trustees annually and any potential conflicts of interest are to be immediately disclosed to the executive committee. The board secretary notifies all involved as soon as a conflict of interest is disclosed and the trustee or staff members is excused from further oral, written or electronic communications specific to the matter.”

“The board talent and compensation committee met march 3, 2025 in the absence of the executive director to discuss the executive director's performance and to determine compensation and benefits using comparative data from other organizations' form 990 and salary surveys. The committee chair communicated the decisions made by the committee to the executive director and director of finance in a signed memo. The full board talent and compensation committee met march 3, 2025 together with the executive director, in the absence of the senior leadership team to discuss their performances, and to determine compensation using comparative data from other organizations form 990 and salary surveys. The executive director communicated those decision made by the committee to the director of finance.”

“The organization makes its financial statements available to the public upon request.”

“Revenue from attorney fees is recognized when the court has approved payment and the opposing side to the case has no further avenues of appeal, or when a settlement becomes enforceable. The organization sought and recovered attorneys' fees from april 1, 2024 to march 31, 2025. Below are cases litigated of in litigation. Program area: air quality no. Of cases: 7 total fees received: $0.00 description: to achieve high air quality across the region, with specific focus on heavily industrialized communities. In pursuit of these goals, selc litigates cases to reduce harmful air pollution and enforce existing public health protections and to enforce existing laws and regulations. Cases litigated or in litigation: - bluestone coke air pollution (circuit court of jefferson county) - abc coke caa intervention (u.s. District court for the northern district of alabama) - advansix title v petition (u.s. District for the eastern district of virginia) - memphis ozone petition (epa, region 4) - telfair forest products air permit appeal (georgia office of state administrative hearings) - tva kingston gas plant air permit appeal (air pollution control board of the state of tennessee) - revised mercury and air toxics standards strengthening rule litigation (u.s. Court of appeals for the d.c. Circuit) program area: cross-program area no. Of cases: 1 total fees awarded: $0.00 cases litigated or in litigation: - challenge to proposed amendments to the nc constitution regarding voting requirements and income tax rate limits affecting the environment (north carolina state supreme court) program area: energy no. Of cases: 42 total fees received: $0.00 description: litigation to promote and secure a sustainable energy policy across the south that protects the people and natural resources of the region, enhances the economy, and minimizes the health, environmental, and economic harm of energy development and air pollution, including greenhouse gases. In pursuit of these goals, selc litigates cases to reduce fossil fuel use and air pollution, promote clean energy, and reduce consumers' energy bills and to enforce existing laws and regulations. Cases litigated or in litigation: - nc biennial avoided cost docket (north carolina utilities commission) -alabama power's petition for additional natural gas, solar, and energy efficiency investments (alabama public -service commission) - rule reversing epa's previous finding that it is "appropriate and necessary" to control power plant hazardous air pollution (u.s. Court of appeals for the district of columbia circuit) - tva allen coal combustion residuals (ccr) rule location restrictions (u.s. District court, western district of tennessee) - tva gallatin ccr rule location restrictions (u.s. District court, middle district of tennessee) - va carbon cap and trade program regional greenhouse gas initiative (rggi) executive action (circuit court of floyd county, va) - bridgestone solar interconnection proceeding (south carolina public service commission) - effluent limitation guidelines (elg) rule rollback (united states court of appeals for the fourth circuit; additional circuit filing with respect to sierra club) - ferc net metering proceeding (federal energy regulatory commission) - purpa rollbacks (u.s. Court of appeals, 9th circuit (where initial lawsuit filed by the national solar energy industries association)) - tva long-term power contracts (united states district court for the western district of tennessee) - north carolina voluntary customer renewable energy programs (north carolina utilities commission) - steam electric elg litigation (united states court of appeals for the fourth circuit initially, ultimately determined by lottery) - 2024 certificate of public convenience and necessity proceedings for new gas-fired power plants in north carolina (north carolina utilities commission) - challenging the alabama public service commission's denial of intervention in alabama power's fuel cost recovery docke”

“Program area: land and community no. Of cases: 8 total fees received: $0.00 description: to promote vibrant communities and the protection of natural and rural areas, and to reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants through smarter growth and more sustainable transportation systems. Selc litigates cases that pursue these goals to the benefit of the region's citizens and to enforce existing laws and regulations. Cases litigated or in litigation: - camden spaceport risk analysis public records enforcement (camden county case georgia superior court; federal aviation administration case federal district court for the northern district of georgia) - spaceport camden launch site license (u.s. District court for the district of columbia) - mid-currituck bridge (u.s. District court for the eastern district of north carolina) - metro green recycling solid waste permit (dekalb county superior court) - amicus brief in support of wegmans distribution center lawsuit (the court of appeals of virginia) - amicus brief in foia appeal involving data center (virginia court of appeals) - challenge to charleston county, sc transportation sales tax ordinance and referendum (charleston county court of common pleas) - appeal of spartanburg county, sc approval of rv park (spartanburg county court of common pleas) program area: water quality no. Of cases: 27 total fees received: $238,573.87 description: to protect and restore water quality and water flow to ensure surface and ground waters in our region can meet long-term human and ecological needs. In pursuit of these goals, selc litigates cases to protect drinking water and waterways from pollution and to enforce existing laws and regulations. Cases litigated or in litigation: - columbus water works permit (georgia office of state administrative hearings) - nc swine general permit challenge appeal (north carolina supreme court) - bluestone coke clean water act violations (fees received $13,260.00) (u.s. District court for the northern district of alabama - calhoun, georgia pfas (fees received $155,024.00) (u.s. District court for the northern district of georgia, rome division) - city of tuscaloosa, al clean water act violations (circuit court of tuscaloosa county) - national pollutant discharge elimination system permit for fiber industries, llc plant (the south carolina administrative law court) - administrative challenge to south carolina's "safe yield" formula for water withdrawals, and potential appeal to - - state court (the south carolina department of health and environmental control) - intervention in challenge to "waters of the united states" rule (u.s. District court for the eastern district of kentucky) - intervention in challenge to clean water act section 401 rule (u.s. District court for the western district of louisiana) - freedom of information act suit regarding pfas testing and contamination at fort stewart and hunter army airfield (u.s. District court for the southern district of georgia) - phenix city clean water act violations (circuit court of russell county, alabama) - r.m. Clayton discharge permit violations (u.s. District court for the northern district of georgia) - sampson county landfill citizen suit (united states district court for the eastern district of north carolina) - amicus brief supporting epa in city and county of san francisco v. U.s. Epa (challenge to epa's use of non-numeric water quality-based permit provisions) (u.s. Supreme court) - shaw saluda river pfas (u.s. District court for the district of south carolina, columbia division) - challenge to tennessee's clean water act section 401 certification for the cumberland pipeline (u.s. Court of appeals for the sixth circuit) - federal energy regulatory commission license surrender for ela dam (federal energy regulatory commission) - federal energy regulatory commission license surrender for high falls dam (federal energy regulatory commission) - intervention to preserve public fishin”

“In keeping with the selc mission and sound investment practices, the investment committee will maximize the investment of the equity portion of selc's investment portfolio in environmental, social and governance funds. In doing so, the sale and transfer of the investments resulted in a realized gain of $1,519,040 reported on page 9, part viii, line 7c. However, this realized gain was offset by the unrealized gains of $7,604,205 as reported on schedule d, page 4, part xi, line 2a. The organization's net realized and unrealized gains/losses during the fiscal year were $8,583,245.”