SJ0077 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0077 LRB100 22209 ALS 40929 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Under the 2016 Volkswagen settlement, Illinois will receive $108.7 million in mitigation funds for local air quality improvement projects; and

WHEREAS, The settlement funds provide an opportunity to offset more than 40,400 tons of NOx pollution resulting from illegal defeat devices in VW vehicles; and

WHEREAS, Mitigation investments should also seek to protect and improve the quality of life for Illinois's most vulnerable and disproportionately affected residents, including children, the elderly, and environmental justice and minority communities; and

WHEREAS, Illinois named the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency as the designated Beneficiary to receive funds and determine eligibility for projects receiving funding; and

WHEREAS, Illinois released its Draft Beneficiary Mitigation Plan on February 28, 2018; and

WHEREAS, The people of Illinois have a right to be informed as to how the money is spent and how effective the plan is at reducing NOx emissions; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency shall provide a written report on April 15 of each year until the year after the funding has been fully disbursed that includes a summary of the projects it has funded, the amount expended for each, and the estimated level of reduced NOx emissions; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the report filed with the General Assembly shall be filed with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives in electronic form only, in the manner that the Secretary and Clerk shall direct; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the IEPA shall hold at least one public meeting with the opportunity for public comment and questions within 60 days of the release of the report to discuss the report's findings.