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Cole LauterbachIllinois lawmakers heard from experts and people affected by the chemicals being released by a suburban Chicago facility at a Friday hearing. Willowbrook-based Sterigenics has been using a cleaning agent called ethylene oxide, known as ETO, to clean medical supplies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said exposure to the chemical over time can […]

Alex RuppenthalUnder the new law, agencies must formulate food donation policies that outline nearby food pantries, soup kitchens and other organizations that accept donations. Walling said the law will be especially helpful to agencies that run hospitals and corrections facilities, where the population can vary from day to day. “It can be difficult to estimate

Press release submissionGov. Bruce Rauner and Illinois EPA Director Alec Messina launched the “Driving a Cleaner Illinois” program, aimed at improving air quality in the state by primarily removing old diesel engines from service. Jen Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC), voiced support for the program stating, “The proposed VW final settlement

Alex RuppenthalThe new law permits the cultivation of industrial hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant that is used to make paper, fabrics, biodegradable plastics, construction materials and a variety of foods, including granola. The bill was introduced in January by state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, D-Chicago Heights. “We are excited that Gov. Rauner is signing

Alex RuppenthalUnder the new measure, introduced by state Rep. Carol Sente, D-Vernon Hills, and signed into law Monday by Gov. Bruce Rauner, state agencies must request a bid for compost as part of any landscaping project that uses off-site soil. Agencies must use compost in the project if the bid is equal to or less

By Community Contributor tbryersSenate Bill 2606 requires Illinois government agencies entering into contracts with food vendors to adopt a policy that allows for leftover food to be donated. The policy must be circulated to all agency employees and include the names of nearby soup kitchens, food banks, and other nonprofits where the food can be

By Yvonne Kim“’I worry about how we’re placing the responsibility of reducing plastic on consumers when it really is big corporations that are making the choices,’ said Jennifer Walling, the council’s executive director. ‘It’s great that (individuals) are changing their behavior, but if we really want change it needs to be done with corporate and

By Mauricio PeñaIllinois Environmental Council Executive Director Jennifer Walling said the time to have a discussion with stakeholders in the city about reducing plastic litter in Chicago is now. While no legislation has been drafted for the state, Walling said they are looking at what other cities have done and are working with disability advocates

By Leo Ji“In January, the Alliance, together with the Shedd Aquarium and the Illinois Environmental Council, issued a joint resolution recognizing the implementation of a federal law banning plastic micro-beads from personal-care products. Even before the federal law, manufacturers had begun to voluntarily remove the micro-beads from products, Caddick said. That could also work for

By Brett Chase | Better Government Association“Quarry landfills do not have the appropriate safeguards in place to protect groundwater,” says Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “The failure to pass legislation this year that would require groundwater monitoring put Illinois communities at risk.” Read the entire piece at the Chicago Sun-Times

By Daily Journal staffThe Illinois Environmental Council reports the Illinois Fiscal 2019 budget has broken “a long trend of cuts and unspent appropriations” for natural resources, with an “especially heartening” 6.7 percent increase for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. A highlight is $37 million match for the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which provides

By Alex Ruppenthal“An existing law prevents state agencies from signing food service contracts that prohibit donations. But even though agencies are permitted to donate food, they are less likely to do so without a plan in place, said Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, which helped craft the bill.” “‘The important thing

By Jim NewtonThe resolution has the support of some environmental groups in Illinois, including the Illinois Environmental Council. “With this resolution, Illinois commits to protecting people over profits, by not waiving similar environmental regulations for projects coming into our state,” Colleen Smith, legislative director of the Environmental Council. Read the entire piece at The Chicago

By Ricardo Torres“On Thursday, the Environmental and Conversion Committee for the Illinois State Senate passed a resolution urging ‘Illinois agencies to take whatever actions possible to protect against the loss of water resources, the potential flooding, and other ecological impacts from this development.’ The resolution cites Foxconn’s plans to draw 7 million gallons of water

By Adalberto Toledo“The [University of Illinois] students have been working closely with the Illinois Environmental Council, which last week held an Environmental Lobby Day at the Capitol for 10 of their priority bills as legislators in Springfield finished off this session.” Read the entire piece at The News-Gazette

By Adalberto Toledo“The [University of Illinois] students have been working closely with the Illinois Environmental Council, which last week held an Environmental Lobby Day at the Capitol for 10 of their priority bills as legislators in Springfield finished off this session.” Read the entire piece at The News-Gazette

By Brett Chase | Better Government AssociationA number of health, environmental and clean energy groups have asked the state EPA to put the brakes on its high-speed spending plan and make the process more transparent to taxpayers. “Clearly, they’re in a hurry to spend the money,” said Al Grosboll, legislative director for the Chicago-based Environmental

By WAND“Jennifer Walling, Executive Director for the Illinois Environmental Council, said, ‘Dynegy is a big corporation that owns several coal plants in Illinois. They’ve just been bought by a Texas corporation called Vistras, and they want to get a bail out. That is not only bad for the environment, because polluting coal plants open, but

By Bailey Bischoff“The negative environmental effect of microbeads first gained attention in 2013 after a report by 5 Gyres and the State University of New York at Fredonia revealed a high concentration of the plastics had infiltrated the Great Lakes. In response, Illinois became the first state to pass legislation against microbeads. The plastic pollution

By Johnathan Hettinger“‘There has been such a slow burn of cuts and cuts and cuts,’ said Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, an association of 80 environmental groups across Illinois. ‘But what this administration is doing is worse because they havethe capacity to do more.’” Read the entire piece at Illinois Public