Amends the Environmental Protection Act. In provisions concerning the regulation of air pollution, water pollution, drinking water, hazardous waste, and landfills, provides that the Illinois Pollution Control Board shall not adopt any standards that are less stringent than those existing in Board regulations. Provides that various provisions of the Act shall not be construed to limit the right of a person to submit to the Board, or for the Board to adopt, regulations more stringent than the regulations promulgated by the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
House Committee Amendment No. 2: Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. In provisions regarding identical in substance rulemakings, provides that the Pollution Control Board shall not adopt United States Environmental Protection Agency rules imposing standards that are less stringent than those in existing Board regulations, and the Board may adopt such rules pursuant to specified rulemaking requirements. Specifies that revisions to federal regulations are not to be considered less stringent than existing Pollution Control Board rules unless, when compared with the affected Board requirements, the revisions would directly and substantively reduce the level of environmental or public health protection as demonstrated by specified criteria. Deletes provisions regarding not construing limitations to the adoption of regulations more stringent that the regulations promulgated by the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Makes change to provisions regarding adopting rules identical in substance to federal regulations implementing the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, and deletes changes to provisions regarding rules concerning the public water supply. Makes conforming and technical changes. Effective immediately.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 415 ILCS 5/10, 415 ILCS 5/13, 415 ILCS 5/17, 415 ILCS 5/22
Engrossed: 415 ILCS 5/7, 415 ILCS 5/10, 415 ILCS 5/13, 415 ILCS 5/17, 415 ILCS 5/22
Enrolled: 415 ILCS 5/7, 415 ILCS 5/10, 415 ILCS 5/13, 415 ILCS 5/17, 415 ILCS 5/22