Environment

A rush to spend $109 million is attacked as a political grab in governor’s re-election campaign; the Illinois Senate votes to slow the process.

Critics say the state is keeping the public in the dark and trying to speed a process that they fear may ultimately benefit corporate interests more than people sickened by air pollution.

As roads and bridges in Illinois crumble, so too does the primary source of revenue the state relies on to fix them—the gas tax.

Mayor says bag tax is about the environment, but critics say it’s about cash

Newly appointed state environmental chief Alec Messina won’t be involved in issuing some pollution permits, ethics officer rules.

MWRD handles flooding and sanitation for much of the Chicago region. And it has tools to ensure its land – our land, the taxpayers’ land, and nearby water sources – aren’t poisoned. Yet MWRD doesn’t appear to be doing very much or, unfortunately, saying much.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is supposed to safeguard our water supply. But it’s been leasing land to polluters, including an oil company with a history of chemical spills.

Illinois’ inability to fix or upgrade hundreds of basic projects threatens the environment and pubic safety, according to a BGA Rescuing Illinois investigation.

City still routinely dumps sewage into the Chicago River, even as Mayor Emanuel touts the waterway for recreation. Environmentalists say now is the time for regulators to crack down.