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Public Act 098-0731 |
HB4716 Enrolled | LRB098 18040 JLK 53169 b |
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AN ACT concerning local government.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act |
is amended by adding Section 56 as follows: |
(70 ILCS 2605/56 new) |
Sec. 56. Resource recovery. |
(a) The General Assembly finds that: |
(1) technological advancements in wastewater treatment |
have resulted in the ability to capture recovered resources |
and produce renewable energy resources from material |
previously discarded; |
(2) the capture and beneficial reuse of recovered |
resources and the production of renewable energy resources |
serves a wide variety of environmental benefits including, |
but not limited to, improved water quality, reduction of |
greenhouse gases, reduction of carbon footprint, reduction |
of landfill usage, reduced usage of hydrocarbon-based |
fuels, return of nutrients to the food cycle, and reduced |
water consumption; |
(3) the district is a leader in the field of wastewater |
treatment and possesses the expertise and experience |
necessary to capture and beneficially reuse or prepare for |
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beneficial reuse recovered resources, including renewable |
energy resources; and |
(4) the district has the opportunity and ability to |
change the approach to wastewater treatment from that of a |
waste material to be disposed of to one of a collection of |
resources to be recovered, reused, and sold, with the |
opportunity to provide the district with additional |
sources of revenue and reduce operating costs. |
(b) As used in this Section: |
"Recovered resources" means any material produced by or |
extracted from the operation of district facilities, |
including, but not limited to: |
(1) solids, including solids from the digestion |
process, semi-solids, or liquid materials; |
(2) gases, including biogas, carbon dioxide, and |
methane; |
(3) nutrients; |
(4) algae; |
(5) treated effluent; and |
(6) thermal energy or hydropower. |
"Renewable energy facility" shall have the same meaning as |
a facility defined under Section 5 of the Renewable Energy |
Production District Act. |
"Renewable energy resources" means resources as defined |
under Section 1-10 of the Illinois Power Agency Act. |
"Resource recovery" means the recovery of material or |
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energy from waste as defined under Section 3.435 of the |
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Act. |
(c) The district may sell or otherwise dispose of recovered |
resources or renewable energy resources resulting from the |
operation of district facilities, and may construct, maintain, |
finance, and operate such activities, facilities, and other |
works as are necessary for that purpose. |
(d) The district may take in materials which are used in |
the generation of usable products from recovered resources, or |
which increase the production of renewable energy resources, |
including, but not limited to food waste, organic fraction of |
solid waste, commercial or industrial organic wastes, fats, |
oils, and greases, and vegetable debris. |
(e) The authorizations granted to the district under this |
Section shall not be construed as modifying or limiting any |
other law or regulation. Any actions taken pursuant to the |
authorities granted in this Section must be in compliance with |
all applicable laws and regulations, including, but not limited |
to, the Environmental Protection Act, and rules adopted under |
that Act.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon |
becoming law.
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