Environment

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that, when determining whether certain local siting review criteria have been met, the county board of the county or the governing body of the municipality, as applicable, shall consider, among other things, vehicle emissions and the potential cumulative impacts created by the addition of the facility to the existing pollution sources, the disparate impacts created by the addition of the facility to existing pollution sources, and the potential disparate impacts on nearby communities. Requires the local siting decisions of the Pollution Control Board to include a written statement describing whether the procedures were conducted by the county board or governing body in a manner that is accessible to the public, including individuals with disabilities and individuals who are not native speakers of English.

Declares March 2 through March 8, 2025 as Illinois Soil Health Week in the State of Illinois. Encourages the celebration of Soil Health Week and its related activities to increase the awareness of Illinois farmers, eaters, and those involved in agribusiness of the importance of the air and water quality environment for all citizens of this State.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Creates the Air Quality Enforcement and Mitigation Fund. Makes a conforming change to the State Finance Act. Provides that the Environmental Protection Agency shall expend 30% of moneys from the Fund for staffing and other functions of the Agency that benefit environmental protection communities and are related to one or more specified purposes. Directs the Agency to establish an Air Quality Community Impact Grant Program to provide grants to nonprofit entities, local health departments, local environmental departments, and school districts to carry out the purposes of the Act. Requires 70% of moneys from the Fund to be expended for grants under the Program for specified purposes in communities affected by violations of the Act. Requires the Agency to adopt rules to implement the Program. Provides that the Agency, in collaboration with environmental interest groups, shall develop a process to identify environmental protection communities. Requires the Agency to post on its website and make publicly available an annual report on the purposes for which grants were awarded under the Program. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Creates the Deforestation-Free Illinois Act. Provides that neither the State nor any government agency of the State shall purchase, at wholesale or retail, or obtain for any purpose any tropical hardwood or tropical hardwood product. Provides that no bid proposal or solicitation, request for bid or proposal, or contract for the construction of any public work, building maintenance, or improvement for or on behalf of the State or any government agency of the State shall require or permit the use of any tropical hardwood or tropical hardwood product. Provides that every contract entered into by a State agency that includes the procurement of any product that consists, in whole or in part, of a forest-risk commodity shall require the contractor to confirm that the commodity furnished to the State under the contract was not extracted from, grown, derived, harvested, reared, or produced on land where deforestation or forest degradation occurred. Effective immediately.

Amends the School Code. Provides that, after January 1, 2027, a school district may not procure disposable food service containers that are composed in whole or in part from polystyrene foam for use at any school and instead shall offer only compostable foodware or recyclable foodware for use at the school. Provides that, after January 1, 2028 or at the renewal of its next contract, whichever occurs later, no vendor contracted through a school district may provide a school with disposable food service containers that are composed in whole or in part from polystyrene foam at any site owned or leased by the school district and instead shall offer only compostable foodware or recyclable foodware for use at sites owned or leased by the school district.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In a provision regarding prohibited acts, provides that no person shall operate a commercial wind energy facility in a manner that causes, threatens, or allows the release of oil, lubricant, hydraulic fluid, transformer solvent, insulation fluid, cleaning fluid, or any other similar fluid from the commercial wind energy facility. Requires any fluid released in violation of this prohibition to be remediated. Provides that any person who violates this prohibition shall, for each day of violation, be liable for a civil penalty of $1,000 for a first offense and $10,000 for a second or subsequent offense. Provides for a 100% reduction in penalty for a person who self-discloses noncompliance with this provision. Directs the owner or operator of a commercial wind energy facility to annually register with the Agency in the form and manner prescribed by the Agency. Specifies that the owners and operators of a commercial wind energy facility have an affirmative duty to cover all remediation and response expenses that are incurred as a result of the operation of a commercial wind energy facility in a manner that causes, threatens, or allows the release of oil, lubricant, hydraulic fluid, transformer solvent, insulation fluid, cleaning fluid, or any other similar fluid. Grants the Agency rulemaking powers.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In provisions regarding ethylene oxide emissions from nonnegligible ethylene oxide emissions sources, adds requirements for an Ambient Air Monitoring Plan that substantially mirror requirements in provisions regarding ethylene oxide emissions from ethylene oxide sterilization sources. Changes the definition of "nonnegligible ethylene oxide emissions source" to any ethylene oxide emissions source permitted by the Agency that currently emits more than 30 pounds of ethylene oxide, with certain other requirements (rather than an ethylene oxide emissions source permitted by the Agency that currently emits more than 150 pounds of ethylene oxide, with certain other requirements). Removes a provision in that definition that excludes facilities that are ethylene oxide sterilization sources or hospitals that are licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act or operated under the University of Illinois Hospital Act.

Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Land Conservation Incentives Act. Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Provides that, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, there is a tax credit of up to $200,000 with respect to qualified real property interest conveyed for conservation and preservation purposes as the qualified donation by the taxpayer, with certain requirements. Provides that any taxpayer claiming this tax credit may not claim a credit under any similar law for costs related to the same project. Provides that any tax credits from the donation of an interest in land made by a pass-through tax entity such as a trust, estate, partnership, limited liability corporation or partnership, limited partnership, S corporation, or other fiduciary shall be used either by such entity if it is the taxpayer on behalf of such entity or by the member, manager, partner, shareholder, or beneficiary, as the case may be, in proportion to their interest in such entity if the income, deductions, and tax liability passes through such entity to such member, manager, partner, shareholder, or beneficiary, and that such tax credits may not be claimed by both the entity and the member, manager, partner, shareholder, or beneficiary for the same donation. Requires the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Revenue to adopt rules. Defines terms. Makes findings.

Creates the Disposable Food Service Container Act. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2030, a person may not sell or distribute in this State a disposable food service container that is composed in whole or in part of polystyrene foam. Specifies that the prohibition does not apply to any activity authorized under an ordinance or resolution adopted by a unit of local government on or before January 1, 2024 or with respect to sales made to a unit of local government for use by the unit of local government for its internal operations. Sets forth penalties for violations of the Act. Limits home rule powers. Effective immediately.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Directs the Environmental Protection Agency to establish an enhanced statewide environmental monitoring program for the purpose of protecting communities in the State, including especially environmental justice communities, from the threats to human health caused by pollution of the State's land and waters.