BIENNIAL REPORT 2007 - 2008 . Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
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through 2021 (now, 2009). Of this total, the
Illinois EPA receives $1.6 million per year to fund
its Illinois Clean Lakes program, Priority Lake
and Watershed Improvement program, and its
Lake Education Assistance program
P.A. 95-268/SB 303. Signed into law on August
17, 2007; effective January 1, 2008. Creates the
Plastic Bag Recycling Act and the Plastic Bag
Recycling Task Force and creates a mandatory
plastic bag recycling pilot program for certain
retailers of Lake County. Sets out the
composition and duties of the Task Force.
Requires the Task Force and the Illinois EPA to
collaborate on a report to be submitted to the
Governor and the General Assembly on specified
aspects of the pilot program, and repeals the
provisions of this bill on June 1, 2010.
State Environmental Legislation
Approved in 2008
New state laws regulate electronic waste
disposal, promote green practices and
environmental site cleanups
P.A. 95-959/SB 2313 (Garrett/Nekritz).
Signed into law on Sept. 17, 2008; effective Sept.
17, 2008. Creates the Electronics Products
Recycling and Reuse Act. Requires electronics
manufacturers to collect and recycle or process for
reuse residential televisions, printers, computer
monitors, computers, laptop computers and
printers (collectively known as “covered
electronics devices,” or CEDs), and other “eligible
electronics devices” (EEDs) at no charge to
consumers. Beginning January 1, 2010, requires
manufacturers to achieve their fair share of a
statewide goal based upon their portion of new
sales (called “market share” – applies to television
manufacturers) or their share of electronics that
are recycled/processed for reuse (called “return
share” – applies to computer manufacturers).
Authorizes electronics manufacturers to use any
strategy they like to meet their goals, e.g.,
partnering with retailers and local governments;
sponsoring collection events, or collection
facilities. In order to encourage electronics
collection options in parts of Illinois that are
underserved by collection facilities, provides
manufacturers with a double credit (2 pounds for
every pound collected) towards meeting their
goals by collecting electronics in these areas.
Manufacturers could also earn double credits by
processing for reuse (rather than recycling) CEDs,
and triple credits when CEDs are donated for
reuse to a primary or secondary public school or a
501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity that serves low
income children and families or the
developmentally disabled.
Requires manufacturers to ensure that those
recyclers and refurbishers used to meet the
manufacturers’ goals adhere to a minimum set of
standards, including, but not limited to, standards
addressing environmental and worker safety,
liability insurance, and international export of
used electronics.
Requires CED manufacturers, recyclers,
refurbishers, and collectors to register annually
with the Illinois EPA. Annual registration fees for
manufacturers would be $5,000. Participating
recyclers/refurbishers would pay a flat annual fee
of $2,000. These registration fees would be
indexed for inflation. Additionally, the fee
structure is designed to cover the Illinois EPA’s
estimated annual costs to administer this law
(roughly $650,000).
Beginning January 1, 2012, or the third year of the
program, landfills would be prohibited from
knowingly accepting any CEDs for disposal. This
includes televisions, computers, printers, and
computer monitors (both residential and non-residential).
The burning or incineration of
televisions, computers, printers, and computer
monitors would also be prohibited.
The bill also creates penalties for violations of the
new Electronics Products Recycling and Reuse
Act this bill would create. The manufacturers’
goals would not be enforced during the first two
program years. Establishes penalties for
violations by recyclers and penalties when
manufacturers fail to report to Illinois EPA one-time
only.
Beginning on April 1, 2012 but no later than
December 31, 2013, the Illinois Pollution Control
Board is authorized to review temporary CED
landfill ban waiver petitions for county
governments or municipal joint action agencies,
and determine whether the respective county’s or
action agency’s jurisdiction may be granted a
temporary landfill ban waiver due to a lack of
funds and lack of collection opportunities to
collect CEDs and EEDs within the county’s or
action agency’s jurisdiction. Further authorizes
the Pollution Control Board to grant such waivers.
