103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5421
 
Introduced 2/9/2024, by Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
615 ILCS 5/14a  from Ch. 19, par. 61a
    Amends the Rivers, Lakes, and Streams Act. Removes a provision requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to work with the City of Chicago and affected units of government for specified concerns. Removes a provision that require the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct water quality and lake bed surveys to evaluate the ecology and the quality of water in Lake Michigan. Removes a provision concerning reporting requirements. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall regularly monitor water quality from nearshores, harbors, and public water supply intakes in Lake Michigan and provide an executive summary biennially on conditions of the water quality in Lake Michigan to the Governor and members of the General Assembly.


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A BILL FOR
 
HB5421LRB103 37501 MXP 67624 b

1    AN ACT concerning transportation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Rivers, Lakes, and Streams Act is amended 
5by changing Section 14a as follows:
 
6    (615 ILCS 5/14a)  (from Ch. 19, par. 61a)
7    Sec. 14a. It is the express intention of this legislation 
8that close cooperation shall exist between the Pollution 
9Control Board, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the 
10Department of Natural Resources and that every resource of 
11State government shall be applied to the proper preservation 
12and utilization of the waters of Lake Michigan.
13    The Environmental Protection Agency shall work in close 
14cooperation with the City of Chicago and other affected units 
15of government to: (1) terminate discharge of pollutional waste 
16materials to Lake Michigan from vessels in both intra-state 
17and inter-state navigation, and (2) abate domestic, 
18industrial, and other pollution to assure that Lake Michigan 
19beaches in Illinois are suitable for full body contact sports, 
20meeting criteria of the Pollution Control Board.
21    The Environmental Protection Agency shall regularly 
22monitor conduct water quality from nearshores, harbors, and 
23public water supply intakes in Lake Michigan and provide an 
 
 
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1executive summary biennially on conditions of the water 
2quality in Lake Michigan and lake bed surveys to evaluate the 
3ecology and the quality of water in Lake Michigan. Results of 
4such surveys shall be made available, without charge, to all 
5interested persons and agencies. It shall be the 
6responsibility of the Director of the Environmental Protection 
7Agency to report biennially or at such other times as the 
8Governor shall direct; such report shall provide hydrologic, 
9biologic, and chemical data together with recommendations to 
10the Governor and members of the General Assembly.
11    The requirement for reporting to the General Assembly 
12shall be satisfied by filing copies of the report as required 
13by Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act, and 
14filing such additional copies with the State Government Report 
15Distribution Center for the General Assembly as is required 
16under paragraph (t) of Section 7 of the State Library Act.
17    In meeting the requirements of this Act, the Pollution 
18Control Board, Environmental Protection Agency and Department 
19of Natural Resources are authorized to be in direct contact 
20with individuals, municipalities, public and private 
21corporations and other organizations which are or may be 
22contributing to the discharge of pollution to Lake Michigan.
23(Source: P.A. 100-1148, eff. 12-10-18.)