Environment

Amends the Nuclear Safety Law of 2004. Provides that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security has the right to enter on public and private property in order to take environmental samples in response to a disaster that causes radioactive contamination. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Creates the Strengthen Illinois Homes Fund. On or before July 1, 2028, and depending on availability of funds, provides that the Department of Insurance shall identify areas of need to administer a pilot grant program known as the Strengthen Illinois Homes Program. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in conjunction with the Department of Insurance, to develop a standard application and grant award rubric for the eligible program grantees. Establishes program requirements for contractors. Amends the State Finance Act to make a conforming change. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Establishes notice requirements for companies providing flood coverage. Creates the Climate Risk Disclosure Article, which may be referred to as the Climate Risk Disclosure Law. Requires all companies, corporations, and organizations subject to the Article to, upon direction from the Department, participate in climate surveys issued by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Creates the Strengthen Illinois Homes Article, which may be referred to as the Strengthen Illinois Homes Act. Provides that, for homeowners insurance policies, an insurer shall provide an actuarially justified premium discount or insurance rate reduction to a specified owner. Provides that the Director of Insurance may adopt rules that establish standard discount amounts, targets, or benchmarks for the coverage of insurable property meeting the specified mitigation program standards. Provides that an insurer writing homeowners insurance policies that provide coverage of an insurable property that is a nonfortified insurable property shall offer an optional rider, endorsement, or supplemental policy provision that provides the insured a right to receive claim payments for the cost to upgrade an insurable property to mitigation program standards for a specified claim. Makes other changes. Amends the Dental Service Plan Act, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, and the Limited Health Service Organization Act to establish conforming requirements.

Creates the Disposable Food Service Container Act. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2030, a person may not sell or distribute in this State a disposable food service container that is composed in whole or in part of polystyrene foam. Specifies that the prohibition does not apply to any activity authorized under an ordinance or resolution adopted by a unit of local government on or before January 1, 2024 or with respect to sales made to a unit of local government for use by the unit of local government for its internal operations. Sets forth penalties for violations of the Act. Limits home rule powers. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Specifies that the Act shall not apply to non-community water supplies, except for purposes of: (1) the Environmental Protection Agency's implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act; (2) the Pollution Control Board's adoption of rules that expressly pertain to non-community water supplies or all public water supplies; or (3) any provisions of the Act or rules adopted by the Board under the Act that are referenced in, or applicable to, non-community water supplies under the Illinois Groundwater Protection Act and rules adopted by the Department of Public Health under that Act. Amends the Illinois Groundwater Protection Act. Authorizes the imposition of administrative and civil penalties. Effective immediately.

Amends the Department of Natural Resources (Conservation) Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Department of Natural Resources shall design, implement, and evaluate not more than 3 demonstration projects that test natural flood risk reduction practices in flood-prone areas of the State, as determined by the Department, with certain requirements. Provides that the Department may require a county to submit to the Department a progress report with certain information. Provides that the Department shall submit to the General Assembly and to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security a report with certain information. Allows the Department to adopt rules.

Creates the Wetlands Protection Act. Provides that no person may discharge dredged or fill material into a State jurisdictional wetland except with a permit issued by the Department of Natural Resources. Exempts certain activities from the requirements of the Act. Sets forth procedures for individual permit applications and other related procedural requirements. Provides that the Department shall not issue an individual permit unless the Environmental Protection Agency certifies to the Department that there will not be a violation of State water quality standards. Provides that the Department may issue an after-the-fact permit in certain emergency circumstances. Sets forth financial assurance requirements. Authorizes the Department to adopt general permits under the Act. Provides that any person who intends to conduct a regulated activity may do so in accordance with a general permit issued by the Department, which pre-authorizes a category of activities with minimal adverse effects. Provides procedures and requirements regarding preconstruction notifications. Provides that certain entities may establish and operate a mitigation bank or in lieu fee program. Describes procedures and requirements for mitigation banks. Grants the Department rulemaking powers. Provides that the Department shall prepare certain reports and studies. Provides for the review of final decisions of the Department. Provides for investigations by the Department and enforcement by a State's Attorney or the Attorney General. Provides for a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 per day of violation, with interest after judgment, and with certain costs, fees, and expenses, payable to the Wetlands Protection Fund. Provides that any person may file a complaint with the Illinois Pollution Control Board concerning a violation of the Act, a rule adopted under the Act, a condition of a permit issued under the Act, or an order of the Pollution Control Board issued under the Act. Provides for county and special district stormwater program authorities to control or regulate activities in any wetlands within their jurisdiction. Establishes the Wetlands Protection Fund. Provides that a permit review fee for all permit applications is to be set by the Department by rule. Makes corresponding changes to the State Finance Act. Makes findings. Defines terms. Effective immediately.

Specifies that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to adopt rules establishing effluent limitations for wastewater, spills, and runoff associated with the production, transport, and packaging of plastic pellets and other preproduction plastic materials. Amends the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act to grant the Agency emergency rulemaking powers. Effective immediately.

Creates the Illinois Appliance Standards Act. Directs the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to adopt minimum efficiency standards for covered products. Provides for testing, certification, and labeling of covered products. Contains provisions concerning enforcement of the Act's requirements. Provides for administrative rulemaking by the Agency. Makes findings. Defines terms.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that all National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits authorizing a discharge from a facility designated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a major facility, shall, at a minimum, require for publicly owned treatment works, periodic sampling of influent, effluent, and biosolids for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods and, for all other facilities, periodic effluent sampling for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods. Provides that the Agency shall require any NPDES permit application for a discharge of wastewater that has potential to contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances to fully characterize the discharge through sample results for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods. Provides that the Agency shall not issue any permit under specified provisions for the land application of a sludge or biosolids unless the application includes sample results for the sludge or biosolids for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods. Provides that any permit issued under specified provisions for the land application of a sludge or biosolids shall require, at minimum, periodic sampling of the sludge or biosolids for all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances for which there are accredited wastewater analytical methods.

Creates the Electric Transmission Facilities Siting Act. Defines terms. Requires that, in the siting of new electric transmission facilities, available corridors be used in the following order of priority: (1) existing public utility corridors; (2) highway corridors; and (3) new corridors. Provides that a public utility or developer may construct, place, or maintain a high-voltage electric service line on a public right-of-way or along a highway if (i) the public utility or developer submits a colocation request for the high-voltage electric service line to the Secretary of Transportation and (ii) the Secretary reviews and approves the colocation request. Requires a public utility or developer to develop a constructability report in consultation with the Department of Transportation and requires the public utility or developer and the Department to follow the terms and conditions of the constructability report during the planning and approval process for the siting of a high-voltage electric service line. Sets forth requirements for the content of the constructability report. Amends the Public Utilities Act. In provisions concerning distributed generation rebates, provides that the owner or operator of distributed generation that, before January 1, 2025 (rather than before the threshold date), is eligible for net metering under the Act may apply for a base rebate for an associated energy storage device behind the same retail customer meter as the distributed generation, regardless of whether the distributed generation applies for a rebate for the distributed generation device. Provides that, after the threshold date, a stand-alone energy storage system that is neither paired with distributed generation nor with any electric load beyond the electric load that is used by the energy storage system itself (rather than a stand-alone energy storage system) shall be compensated with a rebate of $250 per kilowatt-hour of nameplate capacity. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In provisions concerning greenhouse gases, provides that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Power Agency shall file a plan to reduce or delay certain emissions reductions requirements with the Illinois Commerce Commission for review in conjunction with the integrated resource plan under certain provisions of the Public Utilities Act. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.