Reporting by Christiana Freitag for the Chicago Tribune:
In the past 15 years, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has faced major budget cuts and a 21% decline in staffing, according to a recent report from the Environmental Integrity Project.
Illinois is among the 14 U.S. states with the most significant cuts to its state environmental agency, the report by the national nonprofit says. These states, which cross political and geographic boundaries, will likely conduct fewer inspections and weaken protections against pollution, said Jen Duggan, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project.
“These agencies ensure that our drinking water is clean and safe, that the air we breathe is free from harmful pollution, and that our rivers, lakes and coastal waters remain healthy,” Duggan said. “Their efforts safeguard lives and enhance the overall quality of life for people across the United States.”
As the administration of President Donald Trump pushes for a 55% cut to the U.S. EPA for fiscal year 2026, these findings should raise alarms for states, said Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, an organization that advocates for environmental policies.
“This report is a warning,” Walling said. “If both lines of defense, our state agencies and the U.S. EPA, are weakened at the same time, pollution enforcement will falter, emergencies will happen and public health will suffer.”
The report highlights a nationwide trend that saw over half of U.S. states cut their environmental agency budgets. Illinois ranks high on this list, with over 193 IEPA job cuts between 2010 and 2024, according to the Environmental Integrity Project report. In 2024, IEPA had 760 staffers.