Illinois Law Keeps State Environmental Rules in Place

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker has signed House Bill 5070 into law to allow Illinois to keep its current environmental standards even if the federal government adopts weaker rules. The law prevents the Illinois Pollution Control Board from using an expedited process to automatically adopt federal standards that are less strict than Illinois requirements for clean air, clean water, safe drinking water, and hazardous waste. Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director James Jennings said the measure protects existing environmental safeguards for Illinois residents. The legislation was sponsored by state Rep. Ann Williams and state Sen. Laura Ellman and was developed by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.