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EXPLAINER: Why Court’s EPA-Climate Change Ruling Matters

Jeffrey Trevino, an EPA lawyer and Steward of the AFGE Local 704 — that’s the union that represents local EPA Workers; Phillip Braun, a Clinical Professor of Finance at the  Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University; James Taylor, President of the Heartland Institute, and Jennifer Walling, the Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council […]

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IEC’s Statement on The Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Decision

IEC stands today in frustration, sadness and solidarity with all Americans who need accessible abortion healthcare. One of the core goals of our work as an organization is to build power for Illinois’ people and environment, however, today’s US Supreme Court decision comes as a clear obstruction to that work. Reproductive Justice, like many other

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2022 Environmental Scorecard

IEC is back with our 2022 Environmental Scorecard for the Illinois General Assembly. Scores are based on the environmental impact of their voting record over the last legislative session.  We hope this will be a useful resource and allow you to see whether your legislators have used their power in the General Assembly to protect

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Legislating for Climate Justice Starts With Listening

“Jennifer Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC), told me that, without any other offer of resources, expecting feedback on a 500-page draft bill was an unrealistic ask. As a result, FEJA did not include potential insights from community members that could have strengthened the equity and justice provisions and ensured programs reached

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Bill aims to give communities a voice during EPA permitting process

Lawmakers that are pushing for this bill say it’ll give people more of a say on how facilities are handling pollution in their communities. However, lawmakers that voted against the bill said the new updates could put harsh restrictions on smaller businesses. Ariel Hampton with the Illinois Environmental Council said this legislation would hold facilities

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Agriculture Lease Agreements with Illinois Department of Natural Resources

In December of 2021, Lindsay Keeney and Eliot Clay of the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) sat down with Mike Chandler and Bob Caveny of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to discuss the department’s agriculture lease program. Mike Chandler is the Agricultural Lease Manager for the IDNR and has been with the department for 29 years. Bob Caveny is the Farm Programs Manager and has been with IDNR for 10 years.

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Gong-Gershowitz drug take-back bill passes Illinois House

“Proper disposal of prescription drugs will work to protect Illinois’ wildlife, waterways and drinking water. We are grateful to Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz for her leadership and to the business community for working to reach agreement on this important policy,” Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, said in the release.” Read the full

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2021 LCV National Environmental Scorecard

The Illinois Environmental Council is the state affiliate of the League of Conservation Voters. Each year, LCV releases their National Environmental Scorecard. The Scorecard is the primary yardstick for evaluating the environmental records of every member of Congress. View the scorecard below, en Español, or at scorecard.lcv.org. Click here if scorecard fails to load.

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Illinois — a major feeder to the Gulf of Mexico dead zone — falls behind federal goal to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen flowing into its waterways

“By 2025, Illinois aims to reduce nitrogen and nitrate by 15% and phosphorus by 25%, with a goal of greater long-term reductions. Instead, averaged from 2015 to 2019, nitrogen loads increased by 13% compared with a baseline period from 1980 to 1996, and phosphorus loads increased by 35%, according to the latest biennial report on the

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BP Agrees to $500K Penalty, Soot Limits at Indiana Refinery

“Environmentalists express ongoing concerns for air pollution in the Chicagoland area. “Chicago Tonight” discusses the environmental impacts of local refineries and more with Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, and Eric Schaeffer, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project and a former enforcement director with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Produced by

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Do Illinois’ transportation plans match its climate promises?

Illinois leaders have congratulated themselves on the passage of climate legislation and committed to upholding the promises in the Paris Climate Agreement. However, some are pointing out that Illinois has plans to widen and expand roads, which could encourage more vehicular traffic and increase emissions. We were joined by one such critic from the Urban

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