PATOKA – This summer, a district court ruled the Dakota Access Pipeline had to be shut down until a more thorough environmental review was done. That ruling was recently overturned, with the pipeline allowed to operate indefinitely. But multiple court battles continue. Reporter Lecia Bushak traveled to south-central Illinois to look into one of the
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois EPA (IEPA) testified last week in defense of proposed coal ash rules before the Illinois Pollution Control Board and the public. The rules would specify how the agency cleans up sites under the Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act passed last year. That includes the cleanup and closure of coal combustion residual
The University of Illinois has begun construction on its second solar farm, as part of its long-term plan to expand renewable energy and become carbon-neutral by 2050. The new solar farm will provide 20,000 megawatt hours per year to the U of I campus—the equivalent to powering around 2,000 average homes. The project follows the
DECATUR – Workers cut down a large tree at Rock Springs Conservation Area in southwest Decatur. They’re clearing invasive tree species to make way for re-seeding something that is now rare in Illinois—native tallgrass prairie. Less than one-tenth of 1% of Illinois’ native prairie still exists. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois
CHAMPAIGN – Nitrate levels in Illinois drinking water continue to be an environmental health issue and in some areas are increasing, according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The analysis gathered data on 10 largely agricultural states—including Illinois, Kansas and California—and found that many small, rural water systems have potentially unsafe
DePUE – This year’s spring brought high precipitation levels across the state, and each year flooding remains a concern along the state’s rivers. Environmental advocates argue that increased flooding is just one of the results of climate change that tend to impact people of color and low-income communities more severely. One example of that is
Tony Martin and his wife moved back to their hometown of Teutopolis, Illinois, about a year ago to start a small solar company just as the industry was taking off in the state. “My wife and I had always envisioned moving back to Illinois,” Martin says. “Now that solar came to Illinois, I felt like,
Last year, Illinois saw record-breaking flooding across most of the state, and this spring’s recent heavy precipitation is causing communities near the Illinois River to prepare for further rises in water levels in the coming days. Floods in Chicago last week and flood risk along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers are another sign of growing
URBANA – Giant hornets, which are native to Asia, arrived in Washington state for the first time at the end of last year. They’ve been dubbed “murder hornets” and garnered public attention in recent weeks. But it’s unlikely the insects will spread outside of Washington to pose any real threat, says Adam Dolezal, assistant professor
An Illinois environmental group is joining a coalition in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s rollback of certain water pollution regulations. The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule would loosen protections put in place by the Clean Water Act—threatening water quality in wetlands and ephemeral streams. Champaign-based environmental group Prairie
CHAMPAIGN – As Illinois battles the COVID-19 pandemic, the Champaign County Forest Preserve District is fighting another kind of invasive problem—a plant called garlic mustard. Garlic mustard is an edible invasive herb that can spread in woodland areas throughout Illinois in the spring. It can grow rapidly, overcrowding and endangering native plants. Typically, the Champaign
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Water Act applies to groundwater contamination, which can seep into protected waters like lakes or rivers. The ruling will allow Illinois environmental groups to sue companies that leak coal ash waste, a byproduct of coal burning, into groundwater.
This year, the University of Illinois is updating its climate action plan for the first time since 2015. In celebration of Earth Week, the university is releasing a draft of the plan Thursday. The main goal of the Illinois Climate Action Plan, or iCAP, is for the university campus to become carbon neutral by 2050.
Special House Committee Challenges Newcomer SPRINGFIELD – On Tuesday, the Illinois House formally began investigating the appointment process used to replace former State Rep. Luis Arroyo. The Chicago Democrat resigned from office last fall after he was arrested for allegedly attempting to bribe a state senator. But two lawmakers are challenging the qualifications of his
President Commutes Prison Term Of Former Gov. Blagojevich CHICAGO – President Donald Trump says he has commuted the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The 63-year-old Democrat is expected to walk out of prison later Tuesday. Trump told reporters the sentence was “ridiculous.” The former governor was convicted of political corruption in