Public Act 098-0731
 
HB4716 EnrolledLRB098 18040 JLK 53169 b

    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    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
    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
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.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.