Annual Environmental Conditions Report

2001 Annual Environmental Conditions Report

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Preface

Illinois continues to build a better 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. The 2001 Annual Environmental Conditions Report continues to reflect the performance measurement system jointly adopted by the Environmental Council of States and USEPA.

• A new section on major accomplishments has been added to this report.
  
  As of November 2001, the Chicago area counties had measured attainment of the 1-hour ozone standard (based on three years of air quality monitoring data). Unfortunately, due to a non-typical combination of weather conditions, and poor air quality just upwind of the area that ultimately moved in over the June 21-24, 2002 time period, the area has again measured nonattainment of the 1-hour ozone standard. However, if the area were being designated nonattainment today (following attainment of the standard), the design value would be 132ppb, rather than the 190 ppb design value of the area in 1990. Thus while the area is again in nonattainment, it has experienced significant improvement in 1-hour ozone air quality.
• New information on performance of the Emissions Reduction Market System is shown.
• A figure has been added which shows a trend in amount of wastes being managed at the disposal sites in differing stages of groundwater monitoring.
• Data has been added to a figure which shows the number of transfer stations have increased as the number of landfills decrease and waste is transported farther away to disposal sites.
• A new figure has been added which shows waste and landfill capacity on a per capita and landfill life expectancy basis for each region of the State.
• New charts have been added for annual participation at household hazardous waste events and paint collection.
• Annual redevelopment grant activity for the Brownfields Program is shown.
• New information has been collected for the number of persons served by Compliant Water Supplies.

The Agency welcomes comments and suggestions on this seventh report. We also hope this report provides useful information for the public and interest groups that have a stake in environmental protection.

July 2002