Illinois Environmental Law Blog

I’m honored to be part of a firm that provides counsel to the leading contractors and consultants in the nation. Our attorneys are true partners with our clients and are thought leaders in construction law.

And that's a wrap on the Construction Super Conference, marking an end to another incredible event! We ended the last night of the conference surrounded by colleagues, clients, and friends. We're extremely thankful and proud to be part of such a collaborative, powerful, and dynamic industry.

I was glad to present at the Construction SuperConference my perspectives on how climate change is impacting the construction industry.

New funding opportunity: Illinois Governor Pritzker announced an additional $25.5 million in funding for the Equitable Energy Future Grants Program to bolster the funding opportunities across the state for communities who historically have lacked access to capital for Illinois’ goal of a carbon-free future. More information: https://dceo.illinois.gov/aboutdceo/grantopportunities/3054-2638.html?fbclid=IwAR3WmGYZl_wZKWg1E2ZKIJI302Pn5HnOMz8YZCOc5uWV6pS26IdEgC-aZVU

Equitable Energy Future Grant Program (Notice of Funding Opportunity 3054-2638) Awarding Agency Name Commerce And Econ Opp Agency Contact Announcement Type Initial Type of Assistance Instrument Grant Funding Opportunity Number Funding Opportunity Title CSFA Number CSFA Popular Name Anticipated Number of Awards Estimated Total Program Funding Award Range Source of Funding Cost S...

IL communities meet to discuss what needs to be done to counter the effects of environmental racism after EPA deputy assistant administrator for environmental justice announces "once-in-a-lifetime money" going toward countering those effects.

EPA says community involvement vital to address environmental racism in East St. Louis area Matthew Tejada, deputy assistant administrator for environmental justice at the EPA, said while the federal agency has funding through grants to address a legacy of environmental racism, it needs direction from affected communities on where to use the money.

What a great idea! "After Batavia City Council voted in November to implement a 10-cent bag fee at many of its stores, health food chain Fruitful Yield decided to get ahead of the new policy and encourage its shoppers to bring their own bags by doing just the opposite."

As more suburban bag taxes come online, local chain flips plastic bag fee into reusable bag credit With more plastic bag fees coming online in the region, Chicagoland health food retailer Fruitful Yield offers its customers a 10-cent credit on their purchase when they go resusable.

Illinois Governor Pritzker has vetoed a bill that would have ended a moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants.

Pritzker vetoes bill aiming to end Illinois' moratorium on nuclear plant construction Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Friday that he had vetoed a bill that would have ended a moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants.

Honored to be named Environmental Practice Leader and Vice-Chair of the Environmental, Energy, & Industrial Law Committee of Peckar & Abramson, P.C. For the last 14 years, I have enjoyed practicing with this smart group of attorneys who are dedicated and loyal to our clients and to each other. Thank you to our firm leaders for their continued confidence in my abilities.

I'm excited to be speaking on a panel on "Climate Policy – How it is Changing the Construction Industry" at the upcoming Construction Superconference coming up in Florida later this winter. Happy to add my legal perspective to insurance and construction professionals who will also be on the panel.

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The proposed U.S. EPA regulation requiring certain companies to disclose whether their products contain PFAS attempts to catalog the pervasiveness of the chemicals. It may cost companies $1 billion to comply with the rule.

Proposed rule on PFAS "forever chemicals" could cost companies $1 billion, but health experts say it still falls short The EPA rule would require manufacturers to report many products that contain a type of chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, and hormone irregularities.

The future of toxic tort litigation/environmental law: As an environmental attorney, I have litigated several cases involving the contamination of drinking water from private or municipal wells. Those cases typically involved contaminants found to cause cancer, such as PCE or TCE, but those chemicals are no longer widely used. Now, there is a concern over PFAS chemicals, which are still used in industrial processes and in many products, and may cause harmful health problems.

Millions of Illinois residents get their drinking water from municipal and private wells contaminated with toxic forever chemicals Testing during the past three years revealed nearly a million Illinoisans get their drinking water from municipal wells contaminated with toxic forever chemicals at levels exceeding state health guidelines. Another 1.4 million people in the state depend on private wells, including scores in the Chic...

This Week at the Department of the Interior: Secretary Haaland takes action to protect the cultural and historic resources surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park; Interior infuses $161 million from the President’s Investing in America agenda into ecosystem restoration and resilience; the Secretary designates nine new national recreation trails, just in time for Great Outdoors Month; Interior announces the availability of $725 million to clean up legacy pollution from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; Interior leaders cut the ribbon for an Everglades restoration project; the Bureau of Indian Affairs celebrates a new milestone under the HEARTH Act; National Park Service awards grants aimed at preserving and interpreting Japanese American confinement sites; Yellowstone's grizzly bears find new sources of food in the face of a changing ecosystem; and it's the promise of a new day in our social media Picture of the week!

This Week at Interior June 2, 2023 This Week: Secretary Haaland takes action to protect the cultural and historic resources surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park; Interior infuses...

The billion-dollar project to stop the advance of invasive carp to the Great Lakes runs into a snag: "The challenge is securing Illinois’ signature on a complex Project Partnership Agreement with the Army Corps that requires the state to assume responsibility for issues it is reluctant to take responsibility for."

Illinois, feds grapple with agreement that would advance billion dollar plan to stop invasive carp | Great Lakes Now Illinois objects to terms of “complex” partnership agreement required by the Army Corps of Engineers, while Michigan policy expert questions the need for the project.

According to some reports, U.S. EPA screwed up its calculations in allocating the first batch of $15 billion Congress set aside last year to replace toxic lead pipes. Illinois officials thought we'd get the biggest share.

Studies show Illinois most at risk from brain-damaging lead in water, but Florida getting bigger cut of $15 billion EPA fund to replace pipes When it came time to split up the first batch of $15 billion Congress set aside last year to replace toxic lead pipes, Illinois officials had plenty of reasons to

Illinois EPA has issued an Air Pollution Action Day Alert for today as air pollution levels in the Chicago Metropolitan area are expected to reach the “Orange” or “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category on the national Air Quality Index. According to the agency, this poses a potential health hazard to sensitive populations, especially individuals with pulmonary or respiratory disorders, including asthma, as well as active children and older adults. Sensitive individuals should take special precautions and follow their physician-prescribed regimen.

Bills passed by the Illinois legislature include the ending of a ban on new nuclear power plant construction, which has been in place since 1987.

All-gender restrooms, bans on book bans and full-day kindergarten among the bills passed by Illinois lawmakers The Democratic-controlled legislature sent a slew of bills to the governor showing their priorities for the state, in addition to the $50.4 billion spending plan. Here are some highlights.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1 million to conduct environmental assessments and develop cleanup and reuse plans for polluted brownfield sites in Winnebago and Boone counties.

EPA sends $1M to Rockford region to cleanup polluted brownfield sites. Here are the focus areas By Kevin Haas Rock River Current Get our mobile app ROCKFORD — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1 million to the Region 1 Planning Council to conduct environmental assessments and develop cleanup and reuse plans

My latest blog post analyzes a recent U.S. Supreme Court opinion making it easier for contractors and owners of construction projects to build.
https://illinoisenvironmentallaw.com/uncategorized/contractors-and-owners-will-have-an-easier-time-identifying-regulated-wetlands-following-u-s-supreme-court-opinion/

Contractors and Owners Will Have an Easier Time Identifying Regulated Wetlands Following U.S. Supreme Court Opinion | Illinois Environmental Law Blog--Chicago Environmental Attorney--Dave Scriven-Young Contractors understand how difficult it can be on a technical level to do work in or near wetlands or other environmentally-sensitive areas. Such work is even more difficult due to complex, ever-changing regulations coming from the federal government under the Clean Water Act ("CWA"). The CWA applie...

SCOTUS watch: The American Petroleum Institute, Exxon Mobil, and DCOR LLC have filed a petition for justices to reverse a 2022 ruling that upheld a ban on all new permits for unconventional oil production methods on the Pacific outer continental shelf.

Oil industry takes offshore fracking case to Supreme Court The case involves a hydraulic fracturing ban that industry says would lock up 10 billion barrels of oil and 16 trillion cubic feet of natural gas off the

Environmental groups raise concerns about about flood-prone areas and illegal dumping in East St. Louis.

Grassroots organization Metro East secures meeting with government against environmental injustice - Illinois News ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) – A grassroots organization in Metro East will meet with federal agencies to address environmental injustice.

Illinois will receive $148 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for water infrastructure improvements, U.S. EPA has announced:

Biden-Harris Administration and EPA Announce Delivery of Historic Water Infrastructure Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Illinois | US EPA EPA News Release: Biden-Harris Administration and EPA Announce Delivery of Historic Water Infrastructure Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Illinois