ISACo

ISACo Executive Director Joe McCoy issued a statement critical of Illinois' wind and solar siting law following the approval of a 6,100-acre solar farm in Will County. At issue is the provision in the law requiring county boards to hold public hearings and cast votes to approve wind and solar developments despite having no meaningful decision-making authority if a project meets the requirements of state law. Click on the title to read the statement.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director James Jennings today announced another round of annual funding to provide grants to units of local government for the collection and proper disposal of household sharps from their residents. Sharps, including needles, syringes, and lancets, collected from private citizens are a household waste. Through the grant program, Illinois EPA reimburses grantees that operate a sharps collection station as defined in Section 3.458 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act. A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has been posted on the Illinois EPA website.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in April, unchanged from March, and up +0.6 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised March unemployment rate was 5.1 percent.

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff to the summer boating season, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and Illinois Conservation Police are urging people to wear life jackets anytime they’re on the water and to only operate boats while sober.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is accepting applications for Natural Areas Stewardship grants through June 12. The grants support projects that promote the stewardship of Illinois’ natural areas.