Illinois Environmental Law Blog

12/01/2023

I’m honored to be part of a firm that provides counsel to the leading contractors and consultants in the nation. Our attorneys are true partners with our clients and are thought leaders in construction law.

And that's a wrap on the Construction Super Conference, marking an end to another incredible event! We ended the last night of the conference surrounded by colleagues, clients, and friends. We're extremely thankful and proud to be part of such a collaborative, powerful, and dynamic industry.

11/30/2023

I was glad to present at the Construction SuperConference my perspectives on how climate change is impacting the construction industry.

11/24/2023

New funding opportunity: Illinois Governor Pritzker announced an additional $25.5 million in funding for the Equitable Energy Future Grants Program to bolster the funding opportunities across the state for communities who historically have lacked access to capital for Illinois’ goal of a carbon-free future. More information: https://dceo.illinois.gov/aboutdceo/grantopportunities/3054-2638.html?fbclid=IwAR3WmGYZl_wZKWg1E2ZKIJI302Pn5HnOMz8YZCOc5uWV6pS26IdEgC-aZVU

Awarding Agency Name Commerce And Econ Opp Agency Contact Announcement Type Initial Type of Assistance Instrument Grant Funding Opportunity Number Funding Opportunity Title CSFA Number CSFA Popular Name Anticipated Number of Awards Estimated Total Program Funding Award Range Source of Funding Cost S...

08/17/2023

Happy to share my selection by Best Lawyers!

08/14/2023

IL communities meet to discuss what needs to be done to counter the effects of environmental racism after EPA deputy assistant administrator for environmental justice announces "once-in-a-lifetime money" going toward countering those effects.

Matthew Tejada, deputy assistant administrator for environmental justice at the EPA, said while the federal agency has funding through grants to address a legacy of environmental racism, it needs direction from affected communities on where to use the money.

08/14/2023

What a great idea! "After Batavia City Council voted in November to implement a 10-cent bag fee at many of its stores, health food chain Fruitful Yield decided to get ahead of the new policy and encourage its shoppers to bring their own bags by doing just the opposite."

With more plastic bag fees coming online in the region, Chicagoland health food retailer Fruitful Yield offers its customers a 10-cent credit on their purchase when they go resusable.

08/13/2023

Illinois Governor Pritzker has vetoed a bill that would have ended a moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Friday that he had vetoed a bill that would have ended a moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants.

07/17/2023

Honored to be named Environmental Practice Leader and Vice-Chair of the Environmental, Energy, & Industrial Law Committee of Peckar & Abramson, P.C. For the last 14 years, I have enjoyed practicing with this smart group of attorneys who are dedicated and loyal to our clients and to each other. Thank you to our firm leaders for their continued confidence in my abilities.

07/14/2023

I'm excited to be speaking on a panel on "Climate Policy – How it is Changing the Construction Industry" at the upcoming Construction Superconference coming up in Florida later this winter. Happy to add my legal perspective to insurance and construction professionals who will also be on the panel.

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07/05/2023

The proposed U.S. EPA regulation requiring certain companies to disclose whether their products contain PFAS attempts to catalog the pervasiveness of the chemicals. It may cost companies $1 billion to comply with the rule.

The EPA rule would require manufacturers to report many products that contain a type of chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, and hormone irregularities.

07/02/2023

The future of toxic tort litigation/environmental law: As an environmental attorney, I have litigated several cases involving the contamination of drinking water from private or municipal wells. Those cases typically involved contaminants found to cause cancer, such as PCE or TCE, but those chemicals are no longer widely used. Now, there is a concern over PFAS chemicals, which are still used in industrial processes and in many products, and may cause harmful health problems.

Testing during the past three years revealed nearly a million Illinoisans get their drinking water from municipal wells contaminated with toxic forever chemicals at levels exceeding state health guidelines. Another 1.4 million people in the state depend on private wells, including scores in the Chic...

06/04/2023

This Week at the Department of the Interior: Secretary Haaland takes action to protect the cultural and historic resources surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park; Interior infuses $161 million from the President’s Investing in America agenda into ecosystem restoration and resilience; the Secretary designates nine new national recreation trails, just in time for Great Outdoors Month; Interior announces the availability of $725 million to clean up legacy pollution from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; Interior leaders cut the ribbon for an Everglades restoration project; the Bureau of Indian Affairs celebrates a new milestone under the HEARTH Act; National Park Service awards grants aimed at preserving and interpreting Japanese American confinement sites; Yellowstone's grizzly bears find new sources of food in the face of a changing ecosystem; and it's the promise of a new day in our social media Picture of the week!

This Week: Secretary Haaland takes action to protect the cultural and historic resources surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park; Interior infuses...