LibGuides: Illinois Environmental Law: Other environmental agencies and statewide initiatives

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

EnergySense Resilience Center
EnergySense is an applied research center at the University of Illinois System. Their mission is to empower organizations with practical solutions for climate, energy, and sustainability.
Prairie Research Institute
The Prairie Research Institute conducts transformative science that benefits the people, economy, and environment of Illinois, the nation, and the world. It is comprised of the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Illinois State Archaeological Survey, the Illinois State Geological Survey, the Illinois State Water Survey, and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.

Illinois EPA Office of Energy

The Illinois EPA Office of Energy supports energy efficiency, resiliency, and clean energy through public partnerships and inter-agency collaborations in an effort to reduce energy burden an improve energy equity in Illinois. Office of Energy programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Program and state trust funds established by 20 ILCS 687/6-6 and 20 ILCS 687/6-4. All Illinois EPA Office of Energy programs and projects are designed to meet one or more of the following priorities:

Invest in the Public Sector
Advance Energy Equity
Combine Energy + Environment
Support Energy Education

Clean Energy Innovation Fund
Evergreen Climate Innovations (formerly Clean Energy Trust) manages the Illinois Clean Energy Innovation Fund, a revolving investment fund seeded by a grant from the State of Illinois and the U.S. Department of Energy. Money from the Fund has been invested in high-potential, early-stage Illinois-based cleantech companies.
Driving a Cleaner Illinois Grant Program
Driving a Cleaner Illinois is the Illinois EPA’s grant program developed to distribute funding for various types of mobile source electrification projects. The Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program implements funding from a variety of sources, including the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Program.
Energy Code and Training
The Illinois EPA Office of Energy administers Energy Code Training and Technical Support pursuant to Section 25 of the Energy Efficient Building Act. Below you will find more information about ways the Illinois EPA is helping code officials and building industry professionals access information about the Illinois Energy Conservation Code.
Energy Efficiency Assessment Program
The Energy Efficiency Assessment Program provides funding to public housing authorities, local governments, or nonprofit organizations to conduct energy efficiency assessments at properties benefiting residents receiving housing assistance from a state or federal program.
Energy Efficiency at Public Water Infrastructure
The Illinois EPA Office of Energy provides resources and technical assistance for reducing energy waste at public water facilities and improving energy efficiency throughout the public water network.
Energy efficiency funding opportunities
The Energy Office administers several grant programs and loan funds.
Illinois EPA Office of Energy landing page
Formerly within the Illinois DCEO, this office manages energy grants and provides information about energy efficiency, rebates, renewable energy, and clean energy technologies.
Renewable Energy Development on Former Landfills and Cleanup Sites
This is a resource page for owners and operators of contaminated lands, property owners, prospective renewable energy developers, local governments, and utilities.

Energy Efficiency Commercial Buildings

Energy Efficient Building Act
Public Act 096-0778 requires an energy code for residential buildings. It became effective on January 29th, 2010. Thus, the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) became the first energy code for residential buildings in Illinois.
Illinois Energy Codes
Capital Development Board links to the Illinois Energy Conservation Code and the Illinois Stretch Energy Code.
Illinois Energy Conservation Code
The Illinois Energy Conservation Code establishes minimum requirements for commercial buildings, applying to the construction of, renovations to and additions to all commercial buildings in the State. The Illinois Energy Conservation Code also establishes minimum and maximum requirements for residential buildings, applying to the construction of, renovations to and additions to all residential buildings in the State, except as provided for in Section R102.1.1.
Illinois Energy Efficient Building Act Code Requirements
The Energy Efficient Building Act requires all new commercial and residential construction for which a building permit application is received by a municipality or county to follow a comprehensive statewide energy conservation code. Renovations, alterations, additions, and repairs to most existing commercial and residential buildings must follow the Illinois Energy Conservation Code. The Energy Efficient Building Act requires design and construction professionals to follow the latest published edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) which is currently the 2015 IECC and the ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2013 “Energy Standard for Buildings except Low-Rise Residential Buildings,” referenced therein. Under the Act, the Capital Development Board has the power to modify the Illinois Energy Conservation Code.
Interpretation, Training, and Applications for IECC
The DCEO provides an excellent outline for all of the details of local enforcement of the IECC and code compliance
Public Act 097-1033
Public Act 097-1033 amends the 2012 Illinois Energy Conservation Code to January 1, 2013. This Act allows more time for the Capital Development Board to review the IECC for publication, creating more time for planning effective Code enforcement.

Capital Development Board Green Building Requirements

Design and Construction Manual
Details requirements for complying with the Green Buildings Act.
Green Buildings Act (20 ILCS 3130/)
Requires that all new State-funded building construction and major renovations of existing State-owned facilities must be designed to achieve, at a minimum, the silver certification of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design's rating system, as established by the United States Green Building Council, or an equivalent standard, including, but not limited to, a two-globe rating in the Green Globes USA design program. New buildings and major renovations of 10,000 contiguous square feet or more must obtain a USGBC LEED, GBI Green Globes, or equivalent certification.

Illinois Department of Agriculture

Environmental Programs
The department's programs include pesticide registration and container recycling, voluntary monitoring of pesticide drift, and funding for soil & water conservation districts.

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP)
The Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP) helps low income residents and households conserve fuel and reduce energy costs by making their homes and apartments more energy efficient. IHWAP also provides many health and safety upgrades ensuring safe and healthy homes.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps eligible low-income households pay for home energy services (primarily heating during winter months).

Department of Transportation

Air Quality
Includes links to IDOT's specifications for road and bridge construction as well as proceedings from air quality meetings that staff have attended.
Community Impact Assessment Manual
Provides a description of the community impacts that may occur as a result of a transportation project, and specifies methods, techniques and data requirements for conducting a community study. Also included are procedures for presenting the results of the assessment in environmental documents and a description of mitigation measures that can be applied if adverse impacts are unavoidable.
IDOT Bureau of Design and Environment Roadside Prairie Inventory
Inventory of roadside prairie plants by district in Illinois including GIS data.
IDOT Environmental Review Documents
Environmental reviews related to specific IDOT projects.
IDOT Section 4(f) Documents
Section 4(f), which is implemented under 23 CFR 774 (Code of Federal Regulations), is the federal act that protects publicly owned parks, recreation areas, and wildlife and waterfowl refuges. This page includes links to templates and reports about specific locations.
IDOT Threatened and Endangered Species
The department utilizes in-house expertise together with other sources of geographic information to screen project areas for the presence of habitats that may contain or be suitable for a listed species. In the event a listed species is present or there is suitable habitat within a project area, IDOT will conduct surveys through a statewide contract with the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) to determine the continued presence of the species and suitable habitat in the area which aids the department in avoiding impacts, minimizing impacts, and as a last case scenario mitigating impacts.
IDOT Water Quality
This page provides broad information about IDOT's compliance with state-wide environmental policies to ensure protections of Illinois' water resources, including surface water, floodplains and groundwater. IDOT releases annual reports and reports to the EPA for water quality standards; this information is covered here.
IDOT Wetlands
Links to wetlands compensation sites (searchable by county, site name, and status) and mitigation sites.
Manuals & Guides > Bureau of Design and Environment Manual
The Bureau of Design and Environment (BDE) Manual contains the policies and procedures which govern the location, design, and environmental evaluation of highway construction projects on the state highway system. Also includes links to BDE Procedure Memorandums and a link to subscribe to updates.
IDOT Pesticide Application Reports
IDOT provides notice before spraying pesticides to a public right-of-way. This page provides access to the agency's pesticide application reports.
IDOT Stormwater Management Plan
IDOT Annual Report Publications addressing areas in which IDOT meets EPA's expectations for public outreach and education, storm water erosion control, post-construction monitoring, and pollution prevention.

Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS)

E-Cycle: Surplus Computer Recycling
After obtaining CMS reuse or recycle approval, surplus electronics pickup may be scheduled with authorized electronics recycling vendors and/or received at the CMS State Surplus warehouse.
I-Cycle: State of Illinois Recycling
Created by the Solid Waste Management Act of 1986, the State of Illinois' I-CYCLE Program facilitates the recycling of paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, plastics, scrap metal, fluorescent light bulbs, laser printer cartridges, books, rechargeable batteries, batteries, tires, oil, and anti-freeze. The program administered by the CMS Director’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety to reduce waste, increase recycling, minimize environmental impacts; recover; sell recyclable materials from state agencies and encourage the market development of recovered materials.
Illinois Procurement Code > Preferences (30 ILCS 500/)
Outlines preferences in state procurement, which include environmental considerations.

Green Governments Illinois Act

The Green Governments Illinois Act (20 ILCS 3954/1) was intended to demonstrated the State's commitment to reducing negative environmental impacts, reducing greenhouse gases, and preserving resources for current and future generations and strengthen the capacity of units of local government and educational institutions to transition to a more environmentally sustainable future. The act established the Green Government Coordinating Council, which promoted the incorporation of pollution prevention and resource conservation practices into government management and operations. Publications associated wit this initiative included:

2005 Report of the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council.
2007 Report of the Green Government Coordinating Council
Sustainability Planning Guide for Illinois State Agencies
Provides detailed instructions for developing and implementing a sustainability plan.
Sustainability Plan Template for Illinois State Agencies
A straightforward framework for Illinois public agencies to use when preparing a sustainability plan. To be used with the Sustainability Planning Guide for Illinois State Agencies. The content is general enough to be useful for other types of organizations.