State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ]

90_SB0791eng

      415 ILCS 5/5              from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1005
          Amends  the  Environmental  Protection  Act  to  prohibit
      Pollution  Control  Board  members,  employees,  and  hearing
      officers from engaging in  certain  ex  parte  communications
      relating  to  an  adjudicatory  case or rulemaking proceeding
      pending before the Board. Sets forth exceptions and  provides
      for the inclusion of ex parte communications in the record of
      the pending case or proceeding. Effective immediately.
                                                     LRB9003344DPcc
SB791 Engrossed                                LRB9003344DPcc
 1        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  Environmental  Protection Act by
 2    changing Section 5.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section 5. The Environmental Protection Act is amended by
 6    changing Section 5 as follows:
 7        (415 ILCS 5/5) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1005)
 8        Sec. 5.  Pollution Control Board.
 9        (a)  There  is  hereby created an independent board to be
10    known  as  the  Pollution  Control  Board,  consisting  of  7
11    technically qualified members, no more than 4 of whom may  be
12    of  the same political party, to be appointed by the Governor
13    with the advice and consent of the Senate. One of the members
14    of the Board  first  appointed  shall  be  appointed  for  an
15    initial  term  expiring  July  1,  1971; two members shall be
16    appointed for  initial  terms  expiring  July  1,  1972;  two
17    members shall be appointed for initial terms expiring July 1,
18    1973;   and  the  two  members  appointed  pursuant  to  this
19    amendatory Act of 1983 shall be appointed for  initial  terms
20    expiring on July 1, 1986.
21        Notwithstanding  any  provision  of  this  Section to the
22    contrary, the term of office of each member of the  Board  is
23    abolished  on  the  effective  date of this amendatory Act of
24    1985, but the incumbent members shall  continue  to  exercise
25    all  of  the  powers  and  be subject to all of the duties of
26    members of the Board until their  respective  successors  are
27    appointed  and qualified.  Thereafter, 3 members of the Board
28    shall be appointed to initial terms expiring July 1, 1986;  2
29    members  of  the  Board  shall  be appointed to initial terms
30    expiring July 1, 1987; and 2 members of the  Board  shall  be
31    appointed to initial terms expiring July 1, 1988.
SB791 Engrossed             -2-                LRB9003344DPcc
 1        All successors shall hold office for three years from the
 2    first  day  of  July in the year in which they were appointed
 3    except in case of an appointment to fill a vacancy.  In  case
 4    of a vacancy in the office when the Senate is not in session,
 5    the  Governor may make a temporary appointment until the next
 6    meeting of the Senate when he shall nominate some  person  to
 7    fill  such  office;  and  any  person  so  nominated,  who is
 8    confirmed by the Senate, shall hold  his  office  during  the
 9    remainder of the term. If the Senate is not in session at the
10    time this Act takes effect, the Governor shall make temporary
11    appointments as in case of vacancies.
12        Members  of  the  Board  shall  hold  office  until their
13    respective successors have been appointed and qualified.  Any
14    member  may  resign from his office, such resignation to take
15    effect  when  his  successor  has  been  appointed  and   has
16    qualified.
17        Board  members  shall be paid $30,000 per year until July
18    1, 1979; $33,000 from July 1, 1979 to July 1,  1980;  $34,900
19    from  July  1,  1980  to  July  1, 1981; and $37,000 per year
20    thereafter, or an  amount  set  by  the  Compensation  Review
21    Board,  whichever  is greater, and the Chairman shall be paid
22    $35,000 per year until July 1, 1979;  $38,500  from  July  1,
23    1979  to  July  1, 1980; $40,800 from July 1, 1980 to July 1,
24    1981 and $43,000 per year thereafter, or an amount set by the
25    Compensation Review Board, whichever is greater.  Each member
26    shall be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred,  shall
27    devote  full  time to the performance of his duties and shall
28    make a financial  disclosure  upon  appointment.  Each  Board
29    member  may  employ  one secretary and one assistant, and the
30    Chairman one secretary and two assistants. The Board also may
31    employ and compensate hearing officers to preside at hearings
32    under this Act, and such other personnel as may be necessary.
33    Hearing officers shall be attorneys licensed to practice  law
34    in Illinois.
SB791 Engrossed             -3-                LRB9003344DPcc
 1        The  Governor  shall  designate  one  Board  member to be
 2    Chairman, who shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.
 3        The Board shall hold at least one meeting each month  and
 4    such additional meetings as may be prescribed by Board rules.
 5    In  addition,  special meetings may be called by the Chairman
 6    or by any two  Board  members,  upon  delivery  of  24  hours
 7    written  notice  to  the  office  of  each  member. All Board
 8    meetings shall be open to the public, and  public  notice  of
 9    all  meetings  shall be given at least 24 hours in advance of
10    each meeting. In emergency situations in which a majority  of
11    the  Board  certifies  that  exigencies  of  time require the
12    requirements of public notice and of 24 hour  written  notice
13    to  members  may  be  dispensed with, and Board members shall
14    receive such notice as is reasonable under the circumstances.
15        Four members of the Board shall constitute a quorum,  and
16    4  votes shall be required for any final determination by the
17    Board,  except  in  a  proceeding  to  remove  a  seal  under
18    paragraph (d) of Section 34 of this Act. The Board shall keep
19    a complete and accurate record of all its meetings.
20        (b)  The Board shall determine, define and implement  the
21    environmental  control  standards  applicable in the State of
22    Illinois and may adopt rules and  regulations  in  accordance
23    with Title VII of this Act.
24        (c)  The  Board shall have authority to act for the State
25    in regard to the adoption of standards for submission to  the
26    United  States under any federal law respecting environmental
27    protection. Such standards shall  be  adopted  in  accordance
28    with  Title  VII  of  the  Act  and  upon  adoption  shall be
29    forwarded  to  the  Environmental   Protection   Agency   for
30    submission  to  the United States pursuant to subsections (l)
31    and (m) of Section 4 of this Act. Nothing in  this  paragraph
32    shall  limit  the  discretion  of  the  Governor  to delegate
33    authority granted him under any federal law.
34        (d)  The Board shall have authority to  conduct  hearings
SB791 Engrossed             -4-                LRB9003344DPcc
 1    upon  complaints  charging  violations  of  this  Act  or  of
 2    regulations  thereunder;  upon  petitions for variances; upon
 3    petitions for review of the Agency's denial of  a  permit  in
 4    accordance  with Title X of this Act; upon petition to remove
 5    a seal under Section 34 of this Act; upon other petitions for
 6    review of final determinations which are made pursuant to the
 7    Act or Board rule and which involve a subject which the Board
 8    is authorized to regulate; and such other hearings as may  be
 9    provided by rule.
10        (e)  In   connection   with   any   hearing  pursuant  to
11    subsections (b) or (d) of this Section the Board may subpoena
12    and compel the attendance of witnesses and the production  of
13    evidence  reasonably  necessary  to  resolution of the matter
14    under consideration. The Board  shall  issue  such  subpoenas
15    upon   the  request  of  any  party  to  a  proceeding  under
16    subsection (d) of this Section or upon its own motion.
17        (f)  The Board may prescribe reasonable fees for  permits
18    required  pursuant  to  this Act.  Such fees in the aggregate
19    may  not  exceed  the  total  cost  to  the  Agency  for  its
20    inspection and permit systems. The Board  may  not  prescribe
21    any  permit  fees  which  are  different in amount from those
22    established by this Act.
23        (g)  (1)  No Board member, hearing officer,  or  employee
24        of the Board shall communicate ex parte with a person not
25        employed by the Board with respect to the substance of an
26        adjudicatory case or rulemaking proceeding pending before
27        the Board.
28             (2)  Information  that  is  received  concerning  an
29        individual   pollution   source   during   a   rulemaking
30        proceeding shall not be considered an ex parte contact in
31        the  event  that  a  case is currently pending before the
32        Board or a case is later filed concerning the source.
33             (3)  An ex parte communication received by  a  Board
34        member,  hearing  officer, or employee shall be made part
SB791 Engrossed             -5-                LRB9003344DPcc
 1        of the record of the pending matter,  including  but  not
 2        limited   to  all  written  communications,  all  written
 3        responses to communications, and a memorandum stating the
 4        substance of all oral communications  and  all  responses
 5        made  and  the  identity  of each person from whom the ex
 6        parte communication was received.
 7             (4)  Communications regarding matters  of  procedure
 8        and  practice, such as the format of pleadings, number of
 9        copies  required,  manner  of  service,  and  status   of
10        proceedings,  are  not considered ex parte communications
11        for purposes of this subsection.
12    (Source: P.A. 84-1308.)
13        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
14    becoming law.

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