HB5070 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 19577 BDA 33025 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB5070

Introduced 2/10/2026, by Rep. Ann M. Williams

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

415 ILCS 5/10	from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1010
415 ILCS 5/13	from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1013
415 ILCS 5/17	from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1017
415 ILCS 5/17.5	from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1017.5
415 ILCS 5/22.4	from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1022.4
415 ILCS 5/22.40

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In provisions concerning the regulation of air pollution, water pollution, drinking water, hazardous waste, and landfills, provides that the Illinois Pollution Control Board shall not adopt any standards that are less stringent than those existing in Board regulations. Provides that various provisions of the Act shall not be construed to limit the right of a person to submit to the Board, or for the Board to adopt, regulations more stringent than the regulations promulgated by the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning safety.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Environmental Protection Act is amended by changing Sections 10, 13, 17, 17.5, 22.4, and 22.40 as follows:

(415 ILCS 5/10) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1010)

Sec. 10. Regulations.

(A) The Board, pursuant to procedures prescribed in Title VII of this Act, may adopt regulations to promote the purposes of this Title. Without limiting the generality of this authority, such regulations may among other things prescribe:

(a) (Blank);

(b) Emission standards specifying the maximum amounts or concentrations of various contaminants that may be discharged into the atmosphere;

(c) Standards for the issuance of permits for construction, installation, or operation of any equipment, facility, vehicle, vessel, or aircraft capable of causing or contributing to air pollution or designed to prevent air pollution;

(d) Standards and conditions regarding the sale, offer, or use of any fuel, vehicle, or other article determined by the Board to constitute an air-pollution hazard;

(e) Alert and abatement standards relative to air-pollution episodes or emergencies constituting an acute danger to health or to the environment;

(f) Requirements and procedures for the inspection of any equipment, facility, vehicle, vessel, or aircraft that may cause or contribute to air pollution;

(g) Requirements and standards for equipment and procedures for monitoring contaminant discharges at their sources, the collection of samples, and the collection, reporting, and retention of data resulting from such monitoring.

(B) The Board may adopt regulations and emission standards that are applicable or that may become applicable to stationary emission sources located in all areas of the State in accordance with any of the following:

(1) that are required by federal law;

(2) that are otherwise part of the State's attainment plan and are necessary to attain the national ambient air quality standards; or

(3) that are necessary to comply with the requirements of the federal Clean Air Act; or .

(4) that are necessary to comply with air quality standards adopted by the Board that are more stringent than federal standards.

(C) The Board may not adopt any regulation banning the burning of landscape waste throughout the State generally. The Board may, by regulation, restrict or prohibit the burning of landscape waste within any geographical area of the State if it determines based on medical and biological evidence generally accepted by the scientific community that such burning will produce in the atmosphere of that geographical area contaminants in sufficient quantities and of such characteristics and duration as to be injurious to human, plant, or animal life or health.

(D) The Board shall adopt regulations requiring the owner or operator of a gasoline dispensing system that dispenses more than 10,000 gallons of gasoline per month to install and operate a system for the recovery of gasoline vapor emissions arising from the fueling of motor vehicles that meets the requirements of Section 182 of the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7511a). These regulations shall apply only in areas of the State that are classified as moderate, serious, severe, or extreme nonattainment areas for ozone pursuant to Section 181 of the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7511), but shall not apply in such areas classified as moderate nonattainment areas for ozone if the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency promulgates standards for vehicle-based (onboard) systems for the control of vehicle refueling emissions pursuant to Section 202(a)(6) of the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7521(a)(6)) by November 15, 1992.

(E) The Board shall not adopt or enforce any regulation requiring the use of a tarpaulin or other covering on a truck, trailer, or other vehicle that is stricter than the requirements of Section 15-109.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. To the extent that it is in conflict with this subsection, the Board's rule codified as 35 Ill. Adm. Code 212.315 is hereby superseded.

(F) Any person who, prior to June 8, 1988, has filed a timely Notice of Intent to Petition for an Adjusted RACT Emissions Limitation and who subsequently timely files a completed petition for an adjusted RACT emissions limitation pursuant to 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 215, Subpart I, shall be subject to the procedures contained in Subpart I but shall be excluded by operation of law from 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 215, Subparts PP, QQ, and RR, including the applicable definitions in 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 211. Such persons shall instead be subject to a separate regulation which the Board is hereby authorized to adopt pursuant to the adjusted RACT emissions limitation procedure in 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 215, Subpart I. In its final action on the petition, the Board shall create a separate rule which establishes Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for such person. The purpose of this procedure is to create separate and independent regulations for purposes of SIP submittal, review, and approval by USEPA.

(G) Subpart FF of Subtitle B, Title 35 Ill. Adm. Code 218.720 through 218.730 and 219.720 through 219.730, are hereby repealed by operation of law and are rendered null and void and of no force and effect.

(H) In accordance with subsection (b) of Section 7.2, the Board shall adopt ambient air quality standards specifying the maximum permissible short-term and long-term concentrations of various contaminants in the atmosphere; those standards shall be identical in substance to the national ambient air quality standards promulgated by the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with Section 109 of the Clean Air Act, except that the Board shall not adopt under this Section any standards less stringent than those existing in Board regulations. The Board may consolidate into a single rulemaking under this subsection all such federal regulations adopted within a period of time not to exceed 6 months. The provisions and requirements of Title VII of this Act and Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, relating to procedures for rulemaking, shall not apply to identical in substance regulations adopted pursuant to this subsection. However, the Board shall provide for notice and public comment before adopted rules are filed with the Secretary of State. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit the right of any person to submit a proposal to the Board, or the authority of the Board to adopt, air quality standards more stringent than the standards promulgated by the Administrator, pursuant to the rulemaking requirements of Title VII of this Act and Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(I) Nothing in this Title II shall be construed to limit the right of any person to submit a proposal to the Board, or the authority of the Board to adopt, regulations more stringent than the regulations promulgated by the Administrator, pursuant to the rulemaking requirements of Title VII of this Act and Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(Source: P.A. 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)

(415 ILCS 5/13) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1013)

Sec. 13. Regulations.

(a) The Board, pursuant to procedures prescribed in Title VII of this Act, may adopt regulations to promote the purposes and provisions of this Title. Without limiting the generality of this authority, such regulations may among other things prescribe:

(1) Water quality standards specifying among other things, the maximum short-term and long-term concentrations of various contaminants in the waters, the minimum permissible concentrations of dissolved oxygen and other desirable matter in the waters, and the temperature of such waters;

(2) Effluent standards specifying the maximum amounts or concentrations, and the physical, chemical, thermal, biological and radioactive nature of contaminants that may be discharged into the waters of the State, as defined herein, including, but not limited to, waters to any sewage works, or into any well, or from any source within the State;

(3) Standards for the issuance of permits for construction, installation, or operation of any equipment, facility, vessel, or aircraft capable of causing or contributing to water pollution or designed to prevent water pollution or for the construction or installation of any sewer or sewage treatment facility or any new outlet for contaminants into the waters of this State;

(4) The circumstances under which the operators of sewage works are required to obtain and maintain certification by the Agency under Section 13.5 and the types of sewage works to which those requirements apply, which may, without limitation, include wastewater treatment works, pretreatment works, and sewers and collection systems;

(5) Standards for the filling or sealing of abandoned water wells and holes, and holes for disposal of drainage in order to protect ground water against contamination;

(6) Standards and conditions regarding the sale, offer, or use of any pesticide, detergent, or any other article determined by the Board to constitute a water pollution hazard, provided that any such regulations relating to pesticides shall be adopted only in accordance with the "Illinois Pesticide Act", approved August 14, 1979 as amended;

(7) Alert and abatement standards relative to water-pollution episodes or emergencies which constitute an acute danger to health or to the environment;

(8) Requirements and procedures for the inspection of any equipment, facility, or vessel that may cause or contribute to water pollution;

(9) Requirements and standards for equipment and procedures for monitoring contaminant discharges at their sources, the collection of samples and the collection, reporting and retention of data resulting from such monitoring.

(b) Notwithstanding other provisions of this Act and for purposes of implementing an NPDES program, the Board shall adopt:

(1) Requirements, standards, and procedures which, together with other regulations adopted pursuant to this Section 13, are necessary or appropriate to enable the State of Illinois to implement and participate in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) pursuant to and under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as now or hereafter amended. All regulations adopted by the Board governing the NPDES program shall be consistent with the applicable provisions of such federal Act and regulations pursuant thereto, and otherwise shall be consistent with all other provisions of this Act, and shall exclude from the requirement to obtain any operating permit otherwise required under this Title a facility for which an NPDES permit has been issued under Section 39(b); provided, however, that for purposes of this paragraph, a UIC permit, as required under Section 12(g) and 39(d) of this Act, is not an operating permit.

(2) Regulations for the exemption of any category or categories of persons or contaminant sources from the requirement to obtain any NPDES permit prescribed or from any standards or conditions governing such permit when the environment will be adequately protected without the requirement of such permit, and such exemption is either consistent with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as now or hereafter amended, or regulations pursuant thereto, or is necessary to avoid an arbitrary or unreasonable hardship to such category or categories of persons or sources.

(c) In accordance with Section 7.2, and notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, for purposes of implementing a State UIC program, the Board shall adopt regulations which are identical in substance to federal regulations or amendments thereto promulgated by the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with Section 1421 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (P.L. 93-523), as amended, except that the Board shall not adopt under this Section any standards less stringent than those existing in Board regulations. The Board may consolidate into a single rulemaking under this Section all such federal regulations adopted within a period of time not to exceed 6 months. The provisions and requirements of Title VII of this Act shall not apply to regulations adopted under this subsection. Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act relating to procedures for rulemaking shall not apply to regulations adopted under this subsection.

(d) The Board may adopt regulations relating to a State UIC program that are not inconsistent with and are at least as stringent as the Safe Drinking Water Act (P.L. 93-523), as amended, or regulations adopted thereunder. Regulations adopted pursuant to this subsection shall be adopted in accordance with the provisions and requirements of Title VII of this Act and the procedures for rulemaking in Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(e) Nothing in this Title III shall be construed to limit the right of any person to submit a proposal to the Board, or the authority of the Board to adopt, regulations more stringent than the regulations promulgated by the Administrator, pursuant to the rulemaking requirements of Title VII of this Act and Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(Source: P.A. 93-170, eff. 7-10-03.)

(415 ILCS 5/17) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1017)

Sec. 17. Rules; chlorination requirements.

(a) The Board may adopt regulations governing the location, design, construction, and continuous operation and maintenance of public water supply installations, changes or additions which may affect the continuous sanitary quality, mineral quality, or adequacy of the public water supply, pursuant to Title VII of this Act. Nothing in this Title IV shall be construed to limit the right of any person to submit a proposal to the Board, or the authority of the Board to adopt, regulations more stringent than the regulations promulgated by the Administrator, pursuant to the rulemaking requirements of Title VII of this Act and Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(b) The Agency shall exempt from any mandatory chlorination requirement of the Board any community water supply which meets all of the following conditions:

(1) The population of the community served is not more than 5,000;

(2) Has as its only source of raw water one or more properly constructed wells into confined geologic formations not subject to contamination;

(3) Has no history of persistent or recurring contamination, as indicated by sampling results which show violations of finished water quality requirements, for the most recent five-year period;

(4) Does not provide any raw water treatment other than fluoridation;

(5) Has an active program approved by the Agency to educate water supply consumers on preventing the entry of contaminants into the water system;

(6) Has a certified operator of the proper class, or is an exempt community water supply, under the Public Water Supply Operations Act;

(7) Submits samples for microbiological analysis at twice the frequency specified in the Board regulations; and

(8) A unit of local government seeking to exempt its public water supply from the chlorination requirement under this subsection (b) on or after September 9, 1983 shall be required to receive the approval of the voters of such local government. The proposition to exempt the community water supply from the mandatory chlorination requirement shall be placed on the ballot if the governing body of the local government adopts an ordinance or resolution directing the clerk of the local government to place such question on the ballot. The clerk shall cause the election officials to place the proposition on the ballot at the next election at which such proposition may be voted upon if a certified copy of the adopted ordinance or resolution is filed in his office at least 90 days before such election. The proposition shall also be placed on the ballot if a petition containing the signatures of at least 10% of the eligible voters residing in the local government is filed with the clerk at least 90 days before the next election at which the proposition may be voted upon. The proposition shall be in substantially the following form:

----------------------------------------------

Shall the community water supply of ..... (specify YES the unit of local government) be exempt from the mandatory -----------------------------

chlorination requirement NO of the State of Illinois? -------------------------------------------------------------

If the majority of the voters of the local government voting therein vote in favor of the proposition, the community water supply of that local government shall be exempt from the mandatory chlorination requirement, provided that the other requirements under this subsection (b) are met. If the majority of the vote is against such proposition, the community water supply may not be exempt from the mandatory chlorination requirement.

Agency decisions regarding exemptions under this subsection may be appealed to the Board pursuant to the provisions of Section 40(a) of this Act.

(c) Any supply showing contamination in its distribution system (including finished water storage) may be required to chlorinate until the Agency has determined that the source of contamination has been removed and all traces of contamination in the distribution system have been eliminated. Standby chlorination equipment may be required by the Agency if a supply otherwise exempt from chlorination shows frequent or gross episodes of contamination.

(Source: P.A. 98-78, eff. 7-15-13.)

(415 ILCS 5/17.5) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1017.5)

Sec. 17.5. In accordance with Section 7.2, the Board shall adopt regulations which are "identical in substance" to federal regulations or amendments thereto promulgated by the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency to implement Sections 1412(b), 1414(c), 1417(a), and 1445(a) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (P.L. 93-523), as amended, except that the Board shall not adopt under this Section any standards less stringent than those existing in Board regulations. The provisions and requirements of Title VII of this Act shall not apply to regulations adopted under this Section. Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act relating to procedures for rulemaking shall not apply to regulations adopted under this Section. However, the Board shall provide for notice and public comment before adopted rules are filed with the Secretary of State. The Board may consolidate into a single rulemaking under this Section all such federal regulations adopted within a period of time not to exceed 6 months.

(Source: P.A. 88-45.)

(415 ILCS 5/22.4) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1022.4)

Sec. 22.4. Hazardous waste; underground storage tanks; regulations.

(a) In accordance with Section 7.2, the Board shall adopt regulations which are identical in substance to federal regulations or amendments thereto promulgated by the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency to implement Sections 3001, 3002, 3003, 3004, and 3005, of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-580)), except that the Board shall not adopt under this subsection (a) any standards less stringent than those existing in Board regulations. The Board may consolidate into a single rulemaking under this Section all such federal regulations adopted within a period of time not to exceed 6 months. The provisions and requirements of Title VII of this Act shall not apply to rules adopted under this subsection. Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act relating to procedures for rulemaking shall not apply to rules adopted under this subsection.

(b) The Board may adopt regulations relating to a State hazardous waste management program that are not inconsistent with and at least as stringent as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-580), or regulations adopted thereunder. Regulations adopted pursuant to this subsection shall be adopted in accordance with the provisions and requirements of Title VII of this Act and the procedures for rulemaking in Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Nothing in this Title V shall be construed to limit the right of any person to submit a proposal to the Board, or the authority of the Board to adopt, hazardous waste regulations more stringent than the regulations promulgated by the Administrator, pursuant to the rulemaking requirements of Title VII of this Act and Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this Section, the Board may adopt additional regulations identifying the characteristics of hazardous waste and additional regulations listing hazardous waste. In adopting such regulations, the Board shall take into account the toxicity, persistence, and degradability in nature, the potential for accumulation in tissue, and other related factors such as flammability, corrosiveness, and other hazardous characteristics. The regulations may be revised from time to time as may be appropriate. Regulations adopted pursuant to this subsection shall be adopted in accordance with the provisions and requirements of this Act and the procedures for rulemaking in Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(d)(1) In accordance with Section 7.2, after the adoption of regulations by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to implement Section 9003 of Subtitle I of the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (P.L. 98-616) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-580), or any amendments to such regulations, the Board shall adopt regulations relating to corrective action at underground storage tanks that are identical in substance to such federal regulations, except that the Board shall not adopt under this subsection (d) any standards less stringent than those existing in Board regulations.

(2) The rulemaking provisions of Title VII of this Act and of Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act shall not apply to regulations or amendments adopted pursuant to this subsection (d).

(3) For purposes of adopting regulations or amendments thereto under this subsection (d), corrective action shall not include requirements providing for design, construction, installation, general operation, release detection, release reporting, release determination investigation, release confirmation, out-of-service systems and their closure or financial responsibility.

(4) By January 1, 1992, the Board shall amend its rules pertaining to underground storage tanks adopted under paragraph (1) of this subsection to make those rules applicable to any heating oil underground storage tank.

(Source: P.A. 87-323; 87-1088; 88-45.)

(415 ILCS 5/22.40)

Sec. 22.40. Municipal solid waste landfill rules.

(a) In accordance with Sec. 7.2, the Board shall adopt rules that are identical in substance to federal regulations or amendments thereto promulgated by the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency to implement Sections 4004 and 4010 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-580) insofar as those regulations relate to a municipal solid waste landfill unit program, except that the Board shall under this Section adopt any standards less stringent than those existing in Board regulations. The Board may consolidate into a single rulemaking under this Section all such federal regulations adopted within a period of time not to exceed 6 months. Where the federal regulations authorize the State to adopt alternative standards, schedules, or procedures to the standards, schedules, or procedures contained in the federal regulations, the Board may adopt alternative standards, schedules, or procedures under subsection (b) or retain existing Board rules that establish alternative standards, schedules, or procedures that are not inconsistent with the federal regulations. The Board may consolidate into a single rulemaking under this Section all such federal regulations adopted within a period of time not to exceed 6 months.

The provisions and requirements of Title VII of this Act shall not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (a). Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act relating to the procedures for rulemaking shall not apply to regulations adopted under this subsection (a).

(b) The Board may adopt regulations relating to a State municipal solid waste landfill program that are not inconsistent with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-580), or regulations adopted thereunder. Rules adopted under this subsection shall be adopted in accordance with the provisions and requirements of Title VII of this Act and the procedures for rulemaking in Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Nothing in this Title V shall be construed to limit the right of any person to submit a proposal to the Board, or the authority of the Board to adopt, solid waste regulations more stringent than the regulations promulgated by the Administrator, pursuant to the rulemaking requirements of Title VII of this Act and Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

(c) (Blank.)

(Source: P.A. 92-574, eff. 6-26-02.)