Media & Press
IEC Media Contact
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IEC in the Media
Illinois law is the first in the Great Lakes region to designate industrial plastic pellets as pollution
Illinois is requiring polluters to begin reporting spills of industrial plastic pellets known as nurdles, a growing source of contamination in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds.
How to regulate data centers in Illinois at the center of latest proposal
Even as a political backlash against data centers mushrooms across the U.S., a broad consensus on how to regulate them is emerging in Springfield, according to key corporate, labor and environmental lobbyists.
Grayslake data center opponents call for wetlands protection: ‘Wetlands are incredibly important’
Opponents of the Grayslake T5 data center are focusing on almost 16 acres of wetlands on the site that developers have applied to fill in, seeing it as a potential stopping point for a project that has sparked increasing resistance.
Data Center Policy Debate in Illinois Spans Environmental, Economic Goals
Andrew Montequin for WTTW: Data centers are a hot topic in Illinois and around the country. Alongside more construction comes more public scrutiny — of
As Trump hacks away at environmental protections, Illinois strengthens them
A bill headed to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk will end Illinois’ automatic adoption of weakened federal environmental standards.
Why More Illinoisans Are Saying “No” To Data Centers
On June 5, the Illinois legislature shot down House Bill 5513, better known as the POWER Act, a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive bill of necessary regulations on the data centers that have been flooding into the state over the past decade, promising more jobs and increased revenue for local and state governments through property, sales and use taxes.
IEC Press Releases
New Report: State Legislators Scored on Environmental Voting Record
Illinois Environmental Council Releases Annual Scorecard (SPRINGFIELD, IL)—The Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) released its 2026 Legislative Environmental Scorecard today. The scorecard, which is released annually,
Rockford CEJA Ecosystem Training Next Generation of Clean Energy Workers & Investing in Local Community
Rockford, Illinois – Today, The Workforce Connection, Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois (Goodwill), Think Big! Corporation, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Illinois
Illinois’ Natural Resources and Climate Goals At Risk Amid Legislature’s Inaction on the POWER Act
Illinois – Today, the Illinois General Assembly adjourned without taking action on the POWER Act (SB4016/HB5513) – commonsense legislation that would enact nation-leading guardrails on
600 Illinoisans Rally at the State Capitol As Lawmakers Appear Poised to Leave Springfield Without Enacting Data Center Guardrails
Illinois – Over 600 Illinoisans rallied at the Illinois State Capitol today for the Illinois Environmental Council’s POWER Act Lobby Day and met with their
STATEMENT: Bill to address plastic pellet pollution heads to Gov. Pritzker’s desk
Illinois to officially recognize plastic pellets as a pollutant under state law
IL Legislature Makes Historic Progress on Environmental Justice Policy
Stage Now Set for Chicago’s Comprehensive Cumulative Impact Ordinance