Illinois EPA Archives - Illinois Environmental Council

As Chicagoans Brace for Higher Water Bills, Groups Push for Affordability Reforms

May 31, 2025

Water rates have more than doubled since 2010. Low-income residents feel the pinch most of all. On Sunday Chicagoans will face another spike in their water bills after seeing rates more than double over the past 15 years. The latest increase—4 percent—comes as environmental justice groups are fighting for more water-affordability protections. “Water is just […]

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Smoke from Canadian wildfires moving into Chicago area, raising concerns about air quality

May 30, 2025

Smoke from out-of-control wildfires in Canada is drifting into the Chicago area on Friday, and while conditions won’t be as severe as when smoke from Canadian wildfires repeatedly blanketed Chicago two years ago, the haze is nonetheless raising public health concerns. Environmental experts said Chicagoans should pay attention to any alerts and be conscious of air quality. Canadian officials

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On Earth Day, EPA union workers decry cuts to clean air and water regulations

April 22, 2025

Fifty-five years after the first Earth Day, Environmental Protection Agency employees and advocates call for help as the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations and lays off hundreds of workers. Earth Day was marked not with celebration but with a sense of urgency and despair for Environmental Protection Agency union members in Chicago as the

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Federal Funding Freeze Halts IL EATS Program

March 6, 2025

The deputy director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) says the Trump administration’s federal funding freeze has halted the Illinois EATS program. Kristi Jones tells Brownfield it was part of the USDA funded Local Food Purchase Assistance Program. “Those reimbursement dollars are how we fund the lead agencies, the farmers, and the food.” She

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IL CAFOs on rise as industry remains underregulated

February 25, 2025

Illinois is known for having some of the weakest environmental laws for concentrated animal feeding operations, with a lack of oversight and public transparency for the entire process. A coalition of rural landowners is working to change it. In Illinois, it is estimated there are more than 21,000 concentrated animal feeding operations. Chad Wallace, director of rural affairs

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