July 18, 2019
IEC Blog
Team IEC on Capitol Hill
While a majority of our work at the Illinois Environmental Council is focused on passing and implementing environmental policies here in Illinois, we also engage with our state’s congressional delegation to influence federal environmental priorities as well. Recently, our team traveled to Washington D.C. where we met with congressional staff, several members of Congress and Senator Durbin as part of the national League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Lobby Day. LCV is a national organization which seeks to pass pro-environment policies at the state and national level. Check out our video recap of our day from the Capitol here! IEC became the LCV state affiliate for Illinois in April 2018, which means we are plugged into a network of other state-level organizations fighting many of the same battles that we are fighting here in our state. Our trip to D.C. provided me a great way to get to know my new(ish)
June 28, 2019
Bringing Lawmakers Out of Their Office Buildings and into Nature
To educate lawmakers on the importance of agriculture and natural resource conservation practices, we connect them with experiences that demonstrate the real-world impacts of their votes in the legislature.
June 11, 2019
Illinois Has the Greenest Cannabis Bill in the Country
With input from the environmental community, Illinois is about to become the national leader for environmental protection in the cannabis industry. Earlier this year, Governor Pritzker along with members of the Illinois General Assembly, including chief sponsor Senator Heather Steans, introduced legislation to legalize recreational cannabis cultivation, sale and use in Illinois. For many this was no surprise, as it followed a round of state elections in which the legalization of recreational cannabis was a topic of hot debate, but polling showed it was supported by the vast majority of Illinoisans. Proponents of legalization have argued that ending the war on drugs is an important policy goal and a properly designed tax structure could allow cannabis to fund valuable state programs such as public education. But one issue has remained – is the ‘green’ industry really all that green-friendly? Let’s take a look at a few topics on this question.
May 31, 2019
The Critical Need for Water Infrastructure Funding
It is past time for dedicated capital funding for water infrastructure to ensure every Illinoisan has access to clean, affordable water.
March 19, 2019
What joining the US Climate Alliance means for Illinois
As one of his first acts, Governor Pritzker signed Illinois onto the US Climate Alliance
February 7, 2019
Did Illinois just elect the most pro-environment General Assembly ever?
The winners of yesterday’s election will be making decisions that have wide-ranging impacts on Illinois’s environment.
November 7, 2018
Sterigenics, Ethylene Oxide and Human Health
Jen Walling Executive Director, Illinois Environmental Council Without a family history of breast cancer, no one can pinpoint how my mother developed cancer. I was ten years old at the time, and as everyone who has gone through a similar experience knows, the diagnosis was incredibly hard on my family. The experience made enough of an impression on me that I have made it my life’s work to protect public health by creating and enforcing regulations on toxins and carcinogens. I grew up in Darien, Illinois, which, until recently, did not seem related to my mom’s illness. But a new finding has hit very close to home: ethylene oxide, a chemical used in sterilization, was found to be highly carcinogenic with no safe level of human exposure, and a facility that has emitted ethylene oxide for over three decades, Sterigenics, is located less than 2 miles from the home I
October 4, 2018
Federal Setbacks and the State of Illinois Energy Policy
By Cary Shepherd Policy Director, Illinois Environmental Council The federal administration unveiled its latest attempt to prevent our nation’s transition to a clean energy economy earlier this week. After announcing the repeal of the Clean Power Plan – the Obama Administration’s signature climate change policy – the EPA has proposed to replace it with the ironically named Affordable Clean Energy Rule. Little about this rule is either clean or affordable. This new proposal removes the statewide cap on carbon emissions from power plants and allows states to independently relax regulations on power plant pollution, thus leaving little federal guidance. Without rational federal policy in place, responsible state energy programs are now essential to protecting the planet and the health of our communities. Is Illinois prepared for this change? Two years ago, the answer would have been no. Back in 2016, the Illinois Renewable Portfolio Standards, the mechanism used to source
August 24, 2018
Legislator Feature: Robyn Gabel
Representative Robyn Gabel has represented the 18th District since 2010, and during that time she has earned a reputation as a champion for environmental issues.
July 18, 2018
How to Pursue a Career Protecting the Environment
By Jen Walling Executive Director, Illinois Environmental Council While I’m sure 12-year-old me would be very proud of my current career (my friend Dorothy and I would stay behind after lunch to recycle milk cartons), I’m also certain I had no idea that advocating for the environment was a potential career option. As it turns out, it is a job, and I’ve been doing that job since 2011 as the executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. In my role, I’m contacted by many students who are passionate about environment protection, and are considering making that passion a career in advocacy. I receive enough of these messages that I thought it would be worth writing down my best pieces of advice: Internships are just as important to determine what you don’t want to do as they are in determining what you want to do. As a high school and college
July 10, 2018
The State of Water Infrastructure in Illinois
More and more emergency situations are arising from substandard water infrastructure, with the tragedy in Flint drawing national attention to this critical issue.
June 13, 2018
IEC Announces League of Conservation Voters Partnership
Innovative Partnership to Hold Elected Officials Accountable and Elevate Environmental Issues Protecting Illinois’ environment is the focus of a new partnership launched today between the Illinois Environmental Council and the League of Conservation Voters (LCV). This partnership will be used to hold decision makers accountable, put environmental issues front and center in the electoral process, and change the political dynamics that shape environmental policy in Illinois. “The Illinois Environmental Council has been working to protect Illinois’ environment in our state capitol since 1975. Partnering with the League of Conservation Voters, and the larger Conservation Voter Movement, will help the environmental community in Illinois increase our power to seek positive environmental change,” said Illinois Environmental Council Executive Director Jen Walling. IEC will work closely with LCV through an innovative partnership that will combine the power and resources of a national organization, with the community connections, local knowledge, and long-term approach of
April 10, 2018
IEC Affiliate Interview: Environmental Defense Fund
IEC Interviews: Lavannya PulluveetilClean Energy Fellow, Environmental Defense Fund Meet LavannyaIEC: Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. How did you come to work on policy issues related to clean energy access?Lavannya: I’m a recent grad with a degree in in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences as well as International Agriculture and Rural Development. I had the opportunity to work on a variety of community-driven initiatives in New York and internationally as an undergrad, and they all showed me the value of connecting people to resources available through local and federal governments. I became involved in policy issues related to energy access because I am hopeful about the work the Environmental Defense Fund is undertaking in Illinois. I was motivated largely by the focus on equity in relation to energy access, and I hoped that my previous work would lend itself to moving the needle forward on
April 5, 2018
Staff Feature: Lindsay Keeney
By Lindsay KeeneyDownstate Outreach Director, Illinois Environmental Council You can’t protect something you don’t love. Nurtured in central Illinois creek beds that had a tendency to banish a nice pair pair of school clothes straight to the dirty clothes pile, I love water. Geography gifted me the chance play, fish and study water from an early age and my addiction to the outdoors and to water has yet to subside. Now, I work to protect it every day.I grew up in Ashland, Illinois with Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area practically in my backyard. I spent countless hours during adolescence exploring and wading in creeks, canoeing, and navigating the surprisingly complicated politics of farm pond fishing access. Fittingly, one of my very first jobs was working at the Jim Edgar Panther Creek Area. This was the first time I was immersed into the community of sportsmen. I
December 18, 2017
Legislator Feature: State Representative Carol Ammons
IEC is excited to release our first “Legislator Feature” on our blog! Through this series, we hope to share with our supporters how legislators think about environmental issues, and what areas they are specifically interested in. For this entry, we are pleased to interview State Representative Carol Ammons. Representative Carol Ammons is serving her second term as state representative of the 103rd District, which includes Champaign-Urbana. Previously, Rep. Ammons served as a member of the Urbana City Council and Champaign County Board. IEC has been fortunate to work with Rep. Ammons on legislation to protect the Mahomet Aquifer, bolster local and sustainable food, and grow the clean energy economy. IEC is grateful to Rep. Ammons for taking the time to share her thoughts on environmental issues with IEC Legislative Director Colleen Smith: What is the most memorable environmental bill you’ve worked on?One of my first bills banned the dumping of
November 27, 2017
Why the Race for Attorney General Matters for Environmentalists
By Jen WallingExecutive Director, Illinois Environmental Council I’ve never imagined an Illinois where Lisa Madigan was no longer attorney general. She has been an immutable figure on the Illinois political landscape for two decades, and a reliable decision-maker and partner on many of the environmental community’s campaigns. When embarking on a campaign, we begin by assessing potential opponents, allies, and other stakeholders. Perhaps it has been taken for granted that nearly every time we have performed this analysis over the past twenty years, we have been able to add the AG to the ally column. I am proud to say that I’ve personally worked with the staff of the attorney general’s office to keep lead out of children’s drinking water, petroleum coke out of people’s lungs, and animal wastes out of drinking water. We’ve worked to regulate high volume hydraulic fracturing, provide people with the right to file citizen suits,
November 15, 2017
Affiliate Feature: HeartLands Conservancy
By Mary VandervordPresident/CEO, HeartLands Conservancy What’s the mission of your organization?To sustain and enrich the diverse environmental resources of southwestern Illinois. To accomplish our mission HLC works with individuals, local governments, state and federal agencies, and other organizations on three priorities: conservation of open space, building greener communities, and engaging people with nature. Where in Illinois is a majority of your work and your members?We primarily serve southwestern Illinois counties of Madison, St. Clair, Monroe, Bond, Clinton, Washington, and Randolph. This area is known as the St. Louis “Metro East.” Our reach also extends farther south to include Perry, Jackson, Union, and Alexander Counties. What are you current campaigns? Lots of things going on. We are working with the City of Edwardsville in Madison County to protect an threatened old growth forest – Bohm Woods Nature Preserve. We are also working on water quality and flood mitigation plans for 4
October 5, 2017
2017 Environmental Leadership Dinner in Review
AG Madigan, President Preckwinkle among award winners at the 2017 Environmental Leadership Dinner This past Wednesday, September 27th, IEC hosted our 2017 Environmental Leadership Dinner. We were thrilled to be joined by nearly 400 advocates, affiliates, and elected officials who support policies and programs that protect the environment and grow our clean energy economy. You can view some great pictures from the event here. Recipients of our 2017 Environmental Leadership awards represent officials from several levels of government from areas throughout Illinois. Leading up to the dinner, we asked our award winners to answer a few questions about how they work to protect the environment in their respective roles: Attorney General Lisa Madigan AG Madigan was honored for the vital role she and her office played in creating and passing the Preventing Lead in Drinking Water Act. Since becoming law earlier this year, this legilsation is already protecting Illinois school
September 29, 2017
Unprecedented number of retirements include many environmental champions
By Colleen SmithLegislative Director, Illinois Environmental Council Many of the environmental community’s top legislative champions will not be returning to the Illinois General Assembly for another term. Just yesterday, we heard the devastating news that Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, a winner of IEC’s lifetime achievement award for her environmental leadership, will not run for re-election and today, Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that she would not be seeking reelection. Since the beginning of this year, 25 members of the General Assembly have resigned or announced they will not be seeking re-election. Of these, 12 received a 100% on IEC’s 2017 Environmental Scorecard and another 14 have scored 100% at some point during their tenure. Losing these environmental champions means we are now facing a crisis of leadership in the legislature. The Illinois Legislative Green Caucus was formed by Rep. Karen May and Rep. Mike Fortner in 2009 for the
September 15, 2017