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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, It is public policy of the State of Illinois to | ||||||
3 | provide and maintain a healthful environment for the benefit of | ||||||
4 | this and future generations; and
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5 | WHEREAS, It is the duty of the Illinois General Assembly to | ||||||
6 | implement and enforce this constitutionally mandated right of | ||||||
7 | the citizens of Illinois to a healthful environment; and
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8 | WHEREAS, The citizens of Illinois need clean waterways as a | ||||||
9 | source of drinking water, for agricultural and industrial uses, | ||||||
10 | as a healthful habitat for aquatic species, and for the | ||||||
11 | enjoyment of recreational activities, including fishing, | ||||||
12 | swimming, paddling, and boating; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Excessive levels of nutrients are degrading the | ||||||
14 | quality of streams, rivers, and lakes within the State of | ||||||
15 | Illinois and contributing to the dead zone in the Gulf of | ||||||
16 | Mexico; and
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17 | WHEREAS, The 2008 Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan called on the | ||||||
18 | State of Illinois to produce a plan to reduce the amount of | ||||||
19 | phosphorus and nitrogen carried in rivers throughout the State | ||||||
20 | and to the Gulf of Mexico; and
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1 | WHEREAS, The State's Environmental Protection Agency and | ||||||
2 | Department of Agriculture collaborated with a Policy Working | ||||||
3 | Group of academia, environmental non-profits, representatives | ||||||
4 | of federal, state, and local agencies, wastewater treatment | ||||||
5 | professionals, and the agricultural community to develop the | ||||||
6 | Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy in 2015; and
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7 | WHEREAS, The Strategy's Policy Working Group released its | ||||||
8 | first biennial report on the implementation of the Strategy in | ||||||
9 | 2017, documenting the substantial financial and staff resource | ||||||
10 | efforts to educate all citizens of Illinois about nutrient | ||||||
11 | loss, including through in-person meetings, workshops, and | ||||||
12 | field days, as well as communication platforms to reach all | ||||||
13 | stakeholders in Illinois; and
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14 | WHEREAS, The Strategy's biennial report also documented | ||||||
15 | significant collaborative efforts to implement the Strategy, | ||||||
16 | including through impressive resource investments in research, | ||||||
17 | the installation of agricultural conservation practices across | ||||||
18 | the State, and adoption of new technology to reduce nutrient | ||||||
19 | levels in our waterways from wastewater discharges and runoff | ||||||
20 | from agricultural and urban lands; and
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21 | WHEREAS, The Strategy's biennial report found a ten percent | ||||||
22 | reduction in nitrogen loads, but a 17 percent increase in | ||||||
23 | phosphorus loads; and
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1 | WHEREAS, The Strategy sets a milestone to reduce nitrogen | ||||||
2 | loads by 15 percent and phosphorus loads by 25 percent by 2025 | ||||||
3 | from baseline levels (1980-1996); and
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4 | WHEREAS, The Strategy's goal is to reduce both nitrogen and | ||||||
5 | phosphorus loads by 45 percent by 2035; therefore, be it
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6 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL | ||||||
7 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we support the Nutrient | ||||||
8 | Loss Reduction Strategy and the work of stakeholders on the | ||||||
9 | continued implementation of the Strategy as the State of | ||||||
10 | Illinois and its citizens move forward in this important | ||||||
11 | effort; and be it further
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12 | RESOLVED, That we encourage the agencies and their partners | ||||||
13 | in implementing the Strategy to regularly communicate with the | ||||||
14 | General Assembly and seek their support on activities and | ||||||
15 | long-term programs that would help further their work and | ||||||
16 | attain the Strategy's goals.
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