(415 ILCS 155/1) Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Environmental Justice Act. (Source: P.A. 97-391, eff. 8-16-11.)
415 ILCS 155/5
(415 ILCS 155/5) Sec. 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds that: (i) the principle of environmental justice requires
that no segment of the population, regardless of race, national origin, age, or income, should bear disproportionately high or adverse effects of environmental pollution;
(ii) certain communities in the State may suffer
disproportionately from environmental hazards related to facilities with permits approved by the State; and
(iii) these environmental hazards can cause long-term
health effects.
(Source: P.A. 97-391, eff. 8-16-11.)
415 ILCS 155/10
(415 ILCS 155/10) Sec. 10. Commission on Environmental Justice. (a) The Commission on Environmental Justice is established and consists of the following 20 voting members: (1) 2 members of the Senate, one appointed by the
President of the Senate and the other by the Minority Leader of the Senate, each to serve at the pleasure of the appointing officer;
(2) 2 members of the House of Representatives, one
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the other by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, each to serve at the pleasure of the appointing officer;
(3) the following ex officio members: the Director of
Aging or his or her designee, the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or his or her designee, the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency or his or her designee, the Director of Natural Resources or his or her designee, the Director of Public Health or his or her designee, and the Director of Transportation or his or her designee; and
(4) 10 members appointed by the Governor who
represent the following interests:
(i) affected communities concerned with
environmental justice;
(ii) business organizations; (iii) environmental organizations; (iv) experts on environmental health and
environmental justice;
(v) units of local government; and (vi) members of the general public who have an
interest or expertise in environmental justice.
(b) Of the initial members of the Commission appointed by the Governor, 5 shall serve for a 2-year term and 5 shall serve for a 1-year term, as designated by the Governor at the time of appointment. Thereafter, the members appointed by the Governor shall serve 2-year terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as appointments. Members of the Commission appointed by the Governor may not receive compensation for their service on the Commission and are not entitled to reimbursement for expenses. (c) The Governor shall designate a Chairperson from among the Commission's members. The Commission shall meet at the call of the Chairperson, but no later than 90 days after the effective date of this Act and at least quarterly thereafter. (d) The Commission shall: (1) advise State entities on environmental justice
and related community issues;
(2) review and analyze the impact of current State
laws and policies on the issue of environmental justice and sustainable communities;
(3) assess the adequacy of State and local laws to
address the issue of environmental justice and sustainable communities;
(4) develop criteria to assess whether communities in
the State may be experiencing environmental justice issues; and
(5) recommend options to the Governor for addressing
issues, concerns, or problems related to environmental justice that surface after reviewing State laws and policies, including prioritizing areas of the State that need immediate attention.
(e) On or before October 1, 2011 and each October 1 thereafter, the Commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly. (f) The Environmental Protection Agency shall provide administrative and other support to the Commission. (Source: P.A. 97-391, eff. 8-16-11.)
415 ILCS 155/99
(415 ILCS 155/99) Sec. 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law. (Source: P.A. 97-391, eff. 8-16-11.)
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