EPA-ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall ensure that possible adverse economic, social, and environmental effects on environmental justice communities relating to any permit or permit renewal have been fully considered prior to publishing a draft permit or permit renewal for public comment, and that the final decision on the permit or permit renewal is made in the best overall public interest. Provides that any person or entity seeking a permit or permit renewal in an environmental justice community shall give public notice with specified information to the residents of the environmental justice community. Provides that environmental justice community residents shall have 90 days following a community meeting to submit comments to the Agency. Provides that a permit applicant for permitted activity sited in an environmental justice community shall enter into a community benefits agreement with the unit of local government in whose jurisdiction the permit applicant has applied. Provides that the community benefits agreement must, at a minimum, contain provisions requiring the permit applicant to mitigate the environmental and public health impact of the permitted activity in the environmental justice community. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 2 Deletes reference to: 415 ILCS 5/40.4 new Adds reference to: 415 ILCS 5/3.141-5 new 415 ILCS 5/3.141 rep. 415 ILCS 5/42 from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1042 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that, before an owner or operator may initiate demolition of a thermal power plant via implosion, the owner or operator must satisfy specified notification requirements and obtain an Agency-approved air quality plan. Provides that, at least 30 days after providing notice, an owner or operator must hold at least one public meeting within the municipality in which the site is located to discuss the proposed demolition. Contains requirements for the public meeting and the air quality plan. Requires the air quality plan to include a dust mitigation plan, contingency plan, and site cleanup plan with specified requirements. Contains other provisions. Repeals a provision regarding the notice of power plant demolition. In provisions regarding civil penalties, provides that any person who engages in demolition of a thermal power plant via implosion in violation of the Act shall be liable for a civil penalty of up to $50,000 for the first violation and up to $250,000 for a second or subsequent violation. Effective immediately. House Floor Amendment No. 3 Provides that "thermal power plant" or "plant" includes (rather than includes, at a minimum) generation facilities creating power using coal or gas (rather than coal, gas, or nuclear fuel) as inputs.