Rep. Theresa Mah

Filed: 5/6/2019

 

 


 

 


 
10100SB1847ham001LRB101 10763 CPF 60285 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1847

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1847 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Environmental Protection Act is amended by
5adding Section 40.4 as follows:
 
6    (415 ILCS 5/40.4 new)
7    Sec. 40.4. Environmental justice program.
8    (a) The General Assembly finds that:
9        (1) possible adverse economic, social, and
10    environmental effects on environmental justice communities
11    relating to any permit or permit renewal should be fully
12    considered by the Agency prior to completing a draft
13    permit; and
14        (2) the Agency's final decision on the permit or permit
15    renewal should be made in the best overall public interest.
16    (b) An environmental justice program is hereby created to

 

 

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1ensure enhanced public outreach for permitting transactions in
2or near areas of environmental justice concern, including
3notification provided by the permit applicant and by the
4Agency.
5    (c) Prior to any person or entity submitting a permit
6application for an emission unit as defined under Section 39.5
7or NPDES discharge located in an area of environmental justice
8concern or within one mile of an area of environmental justice
9concern, that person or entity shall prepare and implement a
10public participation plan for the residents of the community.
11Under the plan, the person or entity shall:
12        (1) make available information concerning the project
13    for community review, including any permits that will be
14    required by the Agency;
15        (2) conduct a public meeting or meetings to inform the
16    community of the permit application and to take comments
17    and questions. The person or entity must provide notice of
18    the meeting at least 30 days before the date of the
19    meeting; and
20        (3) hold a 30-day comment period following the last
21    public meeting prior to submission of a permit application
22    to the Agency for residents to submit comments to the
23    person or entity.
24    At the time of the permit application to the Agency, the
25person or entity shall also provide an environmental justice
26report to the Agency's Environmental Justice Officer. The

 

 

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1report shall document the public meeting or meetings, comment
2period, comments made by the public, and any community
3environmental benefits agreements that may have been entered
4into with community groups or local officials. Submission of
5the environmental justice report with the permit application
6shall be part of the Agency's completeness review. Submission
7of the report must be accompanied by the following
8certification:
9    "I certify under penalty of law that, based on information
10and belief formed after reasonable inquiry, the statements and
11information contained in this application are true, accurate,
12and complete.".
13    For purposes of this subsection, "permit" means a permit
14issued by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency through
15the Clean Air Act Permit Program or the National Pollutant
16Discharge Elimination System.
17    (d) Within one year after the effective date of this
18amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Agency shall
19propose rules to the Illinois Pollution Control Board that:
20        (1) define areas of environmental justice concern,
21    including screening methodology;
22        (2) define which permit transactions are subject to
23    environmental justice enhanced public outreach procedures;
24        (3) specify notification requirements, including
25    notification by permit applicants prior to application
26    submittal to the Agency; and

 

 

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1        (4) delineate enhanced public outreach activities to
2    be conducted by permit applicants and by the Agency.".