Environmental Progress - Winter 2003

Environmental Progress : Winter 2003

Exciting Year Ahead for IEPA

Challenges will require innovation, cost effectiveness

I was honored to be recently appointed by Governor Rod R. Blagojevich to continue as Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

I know that Governor Blagojevich has a strong commitment to environmental progress, as evidenced by the support he received from leading environmental groups and his record in Congress and the Legislature.

As Governor Blagojevich has stated "there is no real economic security, opportunity or quality of life for citizens when the government does not place a high priority in protecting the environment."

I look forward to helping Governor Blagojevich implement the initiatives he announced during his campaign.

Those initiatives include the Governor's commitment to the use of clean coal technology that will dramatically reduce emissions from power plants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates, while at the same time encouraging the use of this abundant resource. In addition, I am excited about Governor Blagojevich's plan to expand the use of renewable energy sources in our state, such as wind power, through Green Power purchases by state agencies and throughout Illinois.

I am also encouraged by Governor Blagojevich's strong commitment to continue cleaning up our rivers, lakes and streams and his proposal for additional resources for that effort.

The Governor's commitment to education and a safe and healthy environment for our children is also clear. Illinois EPA is helping to implement that commitment through recent programs now underway such as hazardous waste and mercury collections from schools, "green chemistry" workshops and other assistance for environmentally-sustainable practices in schools that will be announced in the near future. Illinois EPA's initiative to identify and reduce sources of potentially hazardous mercury in our environment also continues.

Illinois EPA is also taking steps to implement Governor Blagojevich's call for the Agency to take a more active role in investigating environmental justice issues. An interim Environmental Justice Policy has been drafted and an Environmental Justice Officer, Ken Page, has been appointed. More information is available on the Agency's web site in the Environmental Justice section and further outreach efforts will be announced soon.

I know Governor Blagojevich has a strong record of building coalitions and bringing people together to successfully reach goals. I look forward to being on his team in continuing to meet the challenges to our environment, in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible.