Toxic Pollution Prevention Act.

  1. Law
  2. Illinois Compiled Statutes
  3. ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
  4. Toxic Pollution Prevention Act.

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(415 ILCS 85/1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 7951)

Sec. 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the Toxic Pollution Prevention Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-914.)

 

(415 ILCS 85/2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 7952)

Sec. 2. Findings. (a) The General Assembly finds:

(1) that significant opportunities may exist for industry to eliminate or reduce the generation of toxic substances at the source through modifications in production, operation and raw materials use;

(2) that such modifications may offer significant savings through reduced raw materials, insurance and pollution control costs and are likely to improve worker health and safety;

(3) that toxic pollution prevention opportunities are not realized because (i) existing regulations focus on treatment and disposal of wastes that have already been generated, rather than reducing the use of toxic substances at the source; (ii) existing regulations do not emphasize multimedia management of waste; and (iii) industries may need technical assistance for toxic pollution prevention;

(4) that State environmental agencies can help promote toxic pollution prevention by disseminating information about such strategies to a range of industries, both large and small; and

(5) that some industries may require on-site technical assistance from the State.

(b) It is the purpose of this Act to reduce the disposal and release of toxic substances which may have adverse and serious health and environmental effects, to promote toxic pollution prevention as the preferred means for achieving compliance with environmental laws and regulations, to establish State programs that provide high-level attention to toxic pollution prevention policy initiatives, to integrate existing regulatory programs to promote toxic pollution prevention, and to stimulate toxic pollution prevention strategies by industry.

(Source: P.A. 86-914.)

 

(415 ILCS 85/3) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 7953)

Sec. 3. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Agency" means the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

"Center" means the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.

"Person" means any individual, partnership, co-partnership, firm, company, corporation, association, joint stock company, trust, political subdivision, State agency, or any other legal entity, or its legal representative, agent or assigns.

"Release" means emission to the air, discharge to surface waters or off-site wastewater treatment facilities, or on-site release to the land, including but not limited to landfills, surface impoundments and injection wells.

"Toxic substance" means any substance listed by the Agency pursuant to Section 4 of this Act.

"Toxic pollution prevention" means in-plant practices that reduce, avoid or eliminate: (i) the use of toxic substances, (ii) the generation of toxic constituents in wastes, (iii) the disposal or release of toxic substances into the environment, or (iv) the development or manufacture of products with toxic constituents, through the application of any of the following techniques:

  • (1) input substitution, which refers to replacing a toxic substance or raw material used in a production process with a nontoxic or less toxic substance;
  • (2) product reformulation, which refers to substituting for an existing end product an end product which is nontoxic or less toxic upon use, release or disposal;
  • (3) production process redesign or modification, which refers to developing and using production processes of a different design than those currently used;
  • (4) production process modernization, which refers to upgrading or replacing existing production process equipment or methods with other equipment or methods based on the same production process;
  • (5) improved operation and maintenance of existing production process equipment and methods, which refers to modifying or adding to existing equipment or methods, including but not limited to such techniques as improved housekeeping practices, system adjustments, product and process inspections, and production process control equipment or methods;
  • (6) recycling, reuse or extended use of toxic substances by using equipment or methods which become an integral part of the production process, including but not limited to filtration and other closed loop methods.

However, "toxic pollution prevention" shall not include or in any way be inferred to promote or require incineration, transfer from one medium of release to another, off-site or out of process waste recycling, or end of pipe treatment of toxic substances.

"Trade secret" means any information concerning production processes employed or substances manufactured, processed or otherwise used within a facility which the Agency determines to satisfy the criteria established under Section 3.490 of the Environmental Protection Act, and to which specific trade secret status has been granted by the Agency.

(Source: P.A. 98-346, eff. 8-14-13.)

 

(415 ILCS 85/4) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 7954)

Sec. 4. Toxic Pollution Prevention Program. There is hereby established within the Agency a Toxic Pollution Prevention Program. The Program, at a minimum, shall:

(1) Identify all federal and State laws or regulations pertaining to waste disposal and release of toxic substances into the environment. The Program shall promote increased coordination of efforts to administer and enforce these laws and regulations, review draft administrative rules before submission to determine their potential impact on toxic pollution prevention and determine how Agency programs should be coordinated or modified to promote toxic pollution prevention.

(2) Develop a toxic pollution prevention manual for Agency inspectors and permit reviewers.

(3) Establish procedures for expediting permit application review for process or equipment modifications that involve toxic pollution prevention.

(4) Develop a list of toxic substances which it believes should receive priority consideration for toxic pollution prevention based upon an examination of toxic release inventory reports filed with the Agency pursuant to Section 313 of the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986. The Program shall take into account available health and environmental effects data, volumes of toxic releases and degree of hazard. The Program shall review and update the list at least once every 2 years.

(5) Establish, in cooperation with the Center, methods and procedures for managing toxic pollution prevention information and for assessing the progress of toxic pollution prevention statewide.

(6) To the extent practicable, use the forms, practices and procedures already in place in established environmental protection programs.

(Source: P.A. 86-914; 86-1363.)

 

(415 ILCS 85/5) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 7955)

Sec. 5. Toxic Pollution Prevention Assistance Program. There is hereby established a Toxic Pollution Prevention Assistance Program at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center. The Center may establish cooperative programs with public and private colleges and universities designed to augment the implementation of this Section. The Center may establish fees, tuition, or other financial charges for participation in the Assistance Program. These monies shall be deposited in the Toxic Pollution Prevention Fund established in Section 7 of this Act. Through the Assistance Program, the Center:

  • (1) Shall provide general information about and actively publicize the advantages of and developments in toxic pollution prevention and sustainability practices.
  • (2) May establish courses, seminars, conferences and other events, and reports, updates, guides and other publications and other means of providing technical information for industries, local governments and citizens concerning toxic pollution prevention strategies, and may, as appropriate, work in cooperation with the Agency.
  • (3) Shall engage in research on toxic pollution prevention methods. Such research shall include assessments of the impact of adopting toxic pollution prevention methods on the environment, the public health, and worker exposure, and assessments of the impact on profitability and employment within affected industries.
  • (4) Shall provide on-site technical consulting, to the extent practicable, to help facilities to identify opportunities for toxic pollution prevention, and to develop comprehensive toxic pollution prevention plans that would include water, energy, and solid waste. To be eligible for such consulting, the owner or operator of a facility must agree to allow information regarding the results of such consulting to be shared with the public, provided that the identity of the facility shall be made available only with its consent, and trade secret information shall remain protected.
  • (5) May sponsor pilot projects in cooperation with the Agency, or an institute of higher education to develop and demonstrate innovative technologies and methods for toxic pollution prevention and sustainable development. The results of all such projects shall be available for use by the public, but trade secret information shall remain protected.
  • (6) May award grants for activities that further the purposes of this Act, including but not limited to the following:
    • (A) grants to not-for-profit organizations to establish free or low-cost technical assistance or educational programs to supplement the toxic pollution prevention activities of the Center;
    • (B) grants to assist trade associations, business organizations, labor organizations and educational institutions in developing training materials to foster toxic pollution prevention; and
    • (C) grants to assist industry, business organizations, labor organizations, education institutions and industrial hygienists to identify, evaluate and implement toxic pollution prevention measures and alternatives through audits, plans and programs.
  • The Center may establish criteria and terms for such grants, including a requirement that a grantee provide matching funds. Grant money awarded under this Section may not be spent for capital improvements or equipment.
  • In determining whether to award a grant, the Center shall consider at least the following:
    • (i) the potential of the project to prevent pollution;
    • (ii) the likelihood that the project will develop techniques or processes that will minimize the transfer of pollution from one environmental medium to another;
    • (iii) the extent to which information to be developed through the project will be applicable to other persons in the State; and
    • (iv) the willingness of the grant applicant to assist the Center in disseminating information about the pollution prevention methods to be developed through the project.
  • (7) Shall establish and operate a State information clearinghouse that assembles, catalogues and disseminates information about toxic pollution prevention and available consultant services. Such clearinghouse shall include a computer database containing information on managerial, technical and operational approaches to achieving toxic pollution prevention. The computer database must be maintained on a system designed to enable businesses, governmental agencies and the general public readily to obtain information specific to production technologies, materials, operations and products. A business shall not be required to submit to the clearinghouse any information that is a trade secret.
  • (8) May contract with an established institution of higher education to assist the Center in carrying out the provisions of this Section. The assistance provided by such an institution may include, but need not be limited to:
    • (A) engineering field internships to assist industries in identifying toxic pollution prevention opportunities;
    • (B) development of a toxic pollution prevention curriculum for students and faculty; and
    • (C) applied toxic pollution prevention and recycling research.
  • (9) Shall emphasize assistance to businesses that have inadequate technical and financial resources to obtain information and to assess and implement toxic pollution prevention methods.
  • (10) Shall publish a biannual report on its toxic pollution prevention and sustainable development activities, achievements, identified problems and future goals.

(Source: P.A. 98-346, eff. 8-14-13.)

 

(415 ILCS 85/6) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 7956)

Sec. 6. Toxic Pollution Prevention Innovation Plan. (a) Beginning January 1, 1990, any person may submit to the Agency a plan which proposes to achieve toxic pollution prevention through the use of an innovative production process involving a new application of technology or a combination of existing technologies that have not previously been implemented together. Such plan shall describe the innovative production process, the expected benefits, and the proposed implementation schedule. The plan shall also describe any potential problems that might occur under the plan with respect to compliance with State environmental laws or regulations pertaining to the release or disposal of toxic substances.

(b) The Agency shall concur with a proposed toxic pollution prevention innovation plan if the owner or operator of the affected facility demonstrates to the Agency that:

(1) the proposed process will be effective in toxic pollution prevention;

(2) the proposed process will achieve at least the level of toxic pollution prevention of other available processes; and

(3) the proposed process is not reasonably expected to have any significant adverse effect on public health or the environment in the course of its operation, function or malfunction.

If the Agency does not concur with the proposed plan, the Agency shall provide the owner or operator with a written statement of the reasons for its refusal to concur, and the owner or operator may modify the plan or submit a new plan for review.

(c) The Agency shall consider any potential compliance problems that are identified during the review process. To the extent feasible under applicable law and consistent with prudent environmental practices, the Agency shall make every reasonable effort to accommodate a proposed process with which it has concurred. Such accommodation may include, without limitation, the following:

(1) expedited coordination and processing of any applicable permit applications;

(2) cooperation, as appropriate, with any request for an applicable variance, adjusted standard or site-specific standard pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act; and

(3) appropriate technical assistance to avoid or eliminate any potential compliance problems resulting from the proposed process.

(d) The Agency shall establish rules and procedures for concurring with toxic pollution prevention innovation plans within one year after the effective date of this Act. Under such rules and procedures, the Agency shall make a final determination within 120 days after receiving a proposed plan. Any such concurrence shall be for a period not exceeding 2 years.

(e) The Agency shall monitor the implementation and effectiveness of any toxic pollution prevention innovation plan that is implemented under this Section. The Agency may use monies from the Environmental Protection Permit and Inspection Fund to implement this Section.

(Source: P.A. 86-914.)

 

(415 ILCS 85/7) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 7957)

Sec. 7. Toxic Pollution Prevention Fund. (a) The Toxic Pollution Prevention Fund is hereby created as a special fund in the State treasury. The Fund shall be used for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this Act, and shall not be used for hazardous waste cleanups or related activities. The Governor shall include a recommendation to the General Assembly on the division of moneys in the Fund between the Agency and Center in the annual State budget proposal.

(b) The Fund shall be credited with all the monies raised by the Center pursuant to this Act. These monies shall be appropriated in addition to other State and federal monies, grants and allocations. Interest received on monies in the Fund shall be credited to the Fund.

(Source: P.A. 86-914.)


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