Illinois Environmental Council 8th Annual Environmental Leadership Dinner Wednesday, September 29, 2010 5:30 pm Reception, 7-9:00 pm Dinner and Program (NEW LOCATION) Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza 350 W. Mart Center Drive Chicago, Illinois  60654 Map and directions, http://www.martplaza.com/map-directions/index.cfm Individual Tickets  $150, Table Sponsor  $2,500 and…

  Founded in 1975 as not-for-profit organizations, the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) and the Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund (IECEF) bring together a coalition of organizations and individual members who share a common and active interest in a healthful environment.  IEC and IECEF serve as the umbrella…

LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP: FIVE VICTORIES FOR ILLINOIS'S ENVIRONMENTWhether you're most concerned about breathing clean air, growing green energy jobs, cutting toxic pollution, or ensuring fishable and swimmable waters, progress was made in Illinois's  2010 legislative session, which wrapped up at the end of May. Here are some environmental…

Yesterday, we reported that Rep. Will Davis revived his proposal to add tire burning to the state's definition of renewable energy. Senate Bill 380, amended to include the tire burning language, passed out of the House by a vote of 61 to 45 and now goes on to the Senate for consideration. A Senate Energy Committee hearing on the bill is scheduled for this afternoon at 4:45 p.m. Please call your State Senator…

Mercury Thermostat Collection to Increase in Illinois On Friday, the House passed the Mercury Thermostat Collection Act (SB 3346). This caps our three-year effort to get both houses of the General Assembly to pass legislation that will improve the collection of mercury-containing thermostats used to activate heating and cooling equipment.…

Two issues that were at the top of top of our priority list at the beginning of the year are scheduled for consideration in the General Assembly this week. Read further for more information on protecting our children from toxics and creating clean energy jobs in Illinois. Then call your legislator to voice your support for these critical…

The General Assembly's third reading deadlines have passed. Bills that were not called for a vote on the floor before the deadline are no longer viable. Extensions were granted in some cases, giving sponsors more time to gather support for their bills.   So far in this legislative session, environmental advocates have experienced a lot of ups and downs. We stopped some bad bills from becoming law and we…

Key legislators are backing away from the STAR Bond legislation that would subsidize the development of the 100-year floodplain (SB 2093 & HB 2376). Still, another bill (SB 2556) could make it easier to locate landfills and nursing homes there.SB 2556 would change the definition of the 100-year floodplain so that flood-prone areas protected by…

On March 10th, over 100 environmentalists from around the state descended on Springfield and the State Capitol to paint the town GREEN. Those environmentalists met with their legislators to lobby for the banning toxic chemicals, protection of floodplains, and renewable energy.   Typically, lobbyists get to talk to a handful of lawmakers on a good day, but Environmental Lobby Day 2010 brought together…