LibGuides: Illinois Environmental Law: Illinois Attorney General

Illinois Attorney General

The Attorney General acts as the state's chief legal officer and is responsible for protecting the public interest of the state and its people. Currently, the Office of the Attorney General focuses on protecting consumers, advocating for women, keeping communities safe, advocation for older citizens, safegaurding children, defending citizens' rights, preserving the environment, helping crime victims, ensuring open and honest government, and building better charities.

Preserving the Environment
The Attorney General's Environmental Enforcement Division and Environmental Crimes Bureau enforce the state's environmental laws by both civilly and criminally prosecuting the state's polluters and holding them responsible for their actions.
Environmental Enforcement Division
The Attorney General’s Environmental Enforcement Division handles civil environmental litigation, which includes the Environmental Bureau North, located in Chicago, and the Environmental Bureau South, located in Springfield.The Attorney General’s primary role in environmental enforcement is handling cases referred to the Office by a number of state agencies, including the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Investigating and Prosecuting Environmental Crimes
The Environmental Crimes Bureau investigates, charges, and prosecutes environmental crimes throughout Illinois in conjunction with your local State’s Attorney’s Offices. The most common types of environmental crimes are those involving air, land, and water pollution. The Environmental Crimes Bureau also prosecutes cases involving endangered species and invasive species, and enforces violations of the Illinois Wildlife and Natural Resource laws. The Bureau receives referrals from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and local State’s Attorney’s Offices.