SB2556 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 17788 JDS 33155 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
SB2556

Introduced 1/13/2010, by Sen. William R. Haine

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

415 ILCS 5/3.103 new
615 ILCS 5/18f	from Ch. 19, par. 65f
615 ILCS 5/18g	from Ch. 19, par. 65g
615 ILCS 5/18h new
510 ILCS 77/10.3 new

Amends the Environmental Protection Act; the Rivers, Lakes, and Streams Act; and the Livestock Management Act. Defines "100-year floodplain" as the lowland and relatively flat areas adjoining inland and coastal waters, including flood-prone areas of offshore islands, that are inundated by a flood that has a 1% or greater chance of recurring in any given year or a flood of a magnitude equalled or exceeded once in 100 years on the average over a significantly long period. Provides that areas that lie within an area protected by a levee or levees located in a flood prevention district established by the Flood Prevention District Act are deemed by operation of law not to be within the 100-year floodplain for the purposes of these Acts. Provides that to the extent that Executive Order 2006-5 is inconsistent with the provisions of this amendatory Act, the provisions of this amendatory Act shall govern. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning floodplains.

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 adding Section 3.103 as follows:

(415 ILCS 5/3.103 new)

Sec. 3.103. 100-year floodplain. "100-year floodplain" means the lowland and relatively flat areas adjoining inland and coastal waters, including flood-prone areas of offshore islands, that are inundated by a flood that has a 1% or greater chance of recurring in any given year or a flood of a magnitude equalled or exceeded once in 100 years on the average over a significantly long period. For the purposes of this Act, including for the purposes of granting permit and license applications filed or pending prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, an area shall be deemed by operation of law not to be within the 100-year floodplain if the area lies within an area protected by a levee or levees located in a flood prevention district established by the Flood Prevention District Act. To the extent that Executive Order 2006-5 is inconsistent with the provisions of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, the provisions of this amendatory Act shall govern.

Section 10. The Rivers, Lakes, and Streams Act is amended by adding Section 18h and by changing Sections 18f and 18g as follows:

(615 ILCS 5/18f) (from Ch. 19, par. 65f)

Sec. 18f.

(a) The Department of Natural Resources shall define 100-year flood plains within the State of Illinois on a township by township basis and may issue permits for any construction within such 100-year flood plains on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1971. The Department shall publish and distribute suitable reports, together with mapping and hydrologic exhibits pertaining to 100-year flood plains defined and established under this Act. In defining applicable 100-year flood plains, the Department shall cooperate with, and shall consider planning and zoning requirements of, regional planning agencies created by statute, counties, municipalities and other units of government. A period of thirty days shall be allowed for any agency to submit written comments to the Department regarding any proposed 100-year flood plain area. If such agency fails to return comments to the Department within the specified time period the Department may proceed with the publication and institution of the 100-year flood plain permit procedure. The Department is charged with the planning, development, and evaluation of the most economic combination of retention storage, channel improvement, and flood plain preservation in defining and establishing 100-year flood plain areas. All construction undertaken on a defined 100-year flood plain subsequent to the effective date of this amendatory Act, without benefit of a permit from the Department of Natural Resources, shall be unlawful and the Department, may in its discretion, proceed to obtain injunctive relief for abatement or removal of such unlawful construction. The Department, in its discretion, may make such investigations and conduct such hearings as may be necessary to the performance of its duties under this amendatory Act of 1971. Activity of the Department under this Section shall be limited to townships related to projects of the Department authorized by the General Assembly. The report of the Department shall be considered a final administrative decision and subject to judicial review in accordance with the provision of the Administrative Review Law.

(b) For the purposes of this Section, including for the purposes of granting permit and license applications filed or pending prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, "100-year flood plain" means the lowland and relatively flat areas adjoining inland and coastal waters, including flood-prone areas of offshore islands, that are inundated by a flood that has a 1% or greater chance of recurring in any given year or a flood of a magnitude equalled or exceeded once in 100 years on the average over a significantly long period. For the purposes of this Section, an area shall be deemed by operation of law not to be within the 100-year floodplain if the area lies within an area protected by a levee or levees located in a flood prevention district established by the Flood Prevention District Act.

(Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)

(615 ILCS 5/18g) (from Ch. 19, par. 65g)

Sec. 18g. (a) The Department of Natural Resources shall define the 100-year floodway within metropolitan counties located in the area served by the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, except for the part of that area which is within any city with a population exceeding 1,500,000. In defining the 100-year floodway, the Department may rely on published data and maps which have been prepared by the Department itself, by the Illinois State Water Survey of the University of Illinois, by federal, State or local governmental agencies, or by any other private or public source which it determines to be reliable and appropriate.

(b) The Department may issue permits for construction that is an appropriate use of the designated 100-year floodway in such metropolitan counties. If a unit of local government has adopted an ordinance that establishes minimum standards for appropriate use of the floodway that are at least as restrictive as those established by the Department and this Section, and the unit of local government has adequate staff to enforce the ordinance, the Department may delegate to such unit of local government the authority to issue permits for construction that is an appropriate use of the floodway within its jurisdiction.

(c) No person may engage in any new construction within the 100-year floodway as designated by the Department in such metropolitan counties, unless such construction relates to an appropriate use of the floodway. No unit of local government, including home rule units, in such metropolitan counties may issue any building permit or other apparent authorization for any prohibited new construction within the 100-year floodway.

(d) For the purpose of this Section, including for the purposes of granting permit and license applications filed or pending prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly",:

(1) "100-year floodway" means the channel and that portion of the 100-year floodplain adjacent to a stream or watercourse which is needed to store and convey the 100-year frequency flood discharge without a significant increase in stage.

(1.5) "100-year floodplain" means the lowland and relatively flat areas adjoining inland and coastal waters, including flood-prone areas of offshore islands, that are inundated by a flood that has a 1% or greater chance of recurring in any given year or a flood of a magnitude equalled or exceeded once in 100 years on the average over a significantly long period.

(2) "New construction" means the construction of any new building or structure or the placement of any fill or material, but does not include the repair, remodeling or maintenance of buildings or structures in existence on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1987.

(3) "Appropriate use of the floodway" means use for (i) flood control structures, dikes, dams and other public works or private improvements relating to the control of drainage, flooding or erosion; (ii) structures or facilities relating to the use of, or requiring access to, the water or shoreline, including pumping and treatment facilities, and facilities and improvements related to recreational boats, commercial shipping and other functionally dependent uses; and (iii) any other purposes which the Department determines, by rule, to be appropriate to the 100-year floodway, and the periodic inundation of which will not pose a danger to the general health and welfare of the user, or require the expenditure of public funds or the provision of public resources or disaster relief services. Appropriate use of the floodway does not include construction of a new building unless such building is a garage, storage shed or other structure accessory to an existing building and such building does not increase flood stages.

(4) "Person" includes natural persons, corporations, associations, governmental entities, and all other legal entities.

(e) All construction undertaken on a designated 100-year floodway in such metropolitan counties, without benefit of a permit from the Department of Natural Resources, shall be unlawful and the Department or any affected unit of local government may, in its discretion, proceed to obtain injunctive relief for abatement or removal of such unlawful construction. The Department, in its discretion, may make such investigations and conduct such hearings and adopt such rules as may be necessary to the performance of its duties under this Section.

(f) This Section does not limit any power granted to the Department by any other Act.

(g) This Section does not limit the concurrent exercise by any unit of local government of any power consistent herewith.

(h) This Section does not apply to any city with a population exceeding 1,500,000.

(Source: P.A. 95-728, eff. date - See Sec. 999.)

(615 ILCS 5/18h new)

Sec. 18h. Conflicts with Executive Order 2006-5. To the extent that Executive Order 2006-5 is inconsistent with the provisions of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, the provisions of this amendatory Act shall govern.

Section 15. The Livestock Management Facilities Act is amended by adding Section 10.3 as follows:

(510 ILCS 77/10.3 new)

Sec. 10.3. 100-year floodplain. "100-year floodplain" means the lowland and relatively flat areas adjoining inland and coastal waters, including flood-prone areas of offshore islands, that are inundated by a flood that has a 1% or greater chance of recurring in any given year or a flood of a magnitude equalled or exceeded once in 100 years on the average over a significantly long period. For the purposes of this Act, including for the purposes of granting permit and license applications filed or pending prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, an area shall be deemed by operation of law not to be within the 100-year floodplain if the area lies within an area protected by a levee or levees located in a flood prevention district established by the Flood Prevention District Act. To the extent that Executive Order 2006-5 is inconsistent with the provisions of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, the provisions of this amendatory Act shall govern.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.