Annual Environmental Conditions Report

1997 Annual Environmental Conditions Report

This is an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. You will need the free Acrobat Reader software, available from Adobe's web site, to view it. Full Report (1.7MB, 71 pages)

Preface

Illinois continues to build a new partnership with USEPA that more clearly focuses on specific environmental progress goals and communicates the results to the public in a clearer and more concise fashion. This Third Annual Environmental Conditions Report has been significantly revised to reflect the performance measurement system jointly adopted by the Environmental Council of States and the USEPA.

This third report continues to show a clear pattern of improvements across much of our environmental landscape. Once again, toxic chemical releases showed a downward trend. We continue to see more waterways achieve good condition and to see some reduction in nonpoint source impacts. The percentage of public drinking water supplies meeting all standards also continued to increase. On the air front, the number of days in which the health standard for ground-level ozone (smog) was exceeded did not increase, and seasonal emissions of volatile organic materials continued a downward trend. There was also a dramatic improvement in cleaning up contaminated land. More than 19,000 acres of land (about 30 square miles) were remediated in 1997, a significant increase from the acreage reported in 1996.

There are several new features that appear for the first time in this report. The air section now includes a map showing reductions in ozone across the state expected by the year 2007. The water section includes an expanded target group for excess pollutant load discharged. Since the year 2000 goal was met in 1996 for the initial target group (325 facilities), 422 more facilities have been added and will be expected to meet the original goal. In the land section, a new map indicates where household hazardous waste collections and used tire collections took place, and where compost facilities are located in Illinois. The new section about the Industrial Material Exchange Service also indicates that more than 314 million gallons of materials have been diverted from landfills and reused by Illinois companies through this special program. Another first for this year’s report is the use of surveys to gauge the effectiveness of our environmental education events. The report also highlights the innovative programs the Agency has helped pioneer nationally to foster more flexible and creative solutions for a safe and clean environment, such as emissions trading, regulatory innovation projects with industry, and the Brownfields initiative.

The Agency welcomes comments and suggestions on the goals, objectives and measures outlined in this report and seeks a continuing dialogue with the public and interest groups that have a stake in environmental protection. We hope you find this report a helpful blueprint for participating in that dialogue.

Mary A. Gade, Director

June 1998