Governor Creates Environmental Regulatory Review Commission

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today created a new state commission to review and identify ways to improve the state's environmental regulatory system. The Illinois Environmental Regulatory Review Commission (IERRC) will study the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and report back to the governor with any recommended changes.

Ryan named Ted Meyer, 63, of Chicago, to chair the IERRC. Meyer, a former State Representative and member of the Pollution Control Board, currently serves as legal counsel to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

"The Illinois Environmental Protection Act has served the State of Illinois well, but there may be ways to make the Act more effective, understandable and useful," Ryan said. "The expertise of the Commission members will help me achieve my goal of making environmental regulations easier to understand and enforce."

The IERRC will be composed of as many as 25 additional members representing the environmental community, business, engineering, law and local government. The governor will make the remaining appointments at a later date.

The Illinois Environmental Regulatory Review Commission will work with the Office of the Governor, the General Assembly, state agencies and departments, the business community and other organizations to suggest and implement recommendations to improve the state's environmental regulatory system.

Ryan created the IERRC in Executive Order 18, which he signed today. A copy of the executive order is attached.

EXECUTIVE ORDERNUMBER 18 (1999)

EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATING THE ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY REVIEW COMMISSION (IERRC)

WHEREAS, great strides have been made in Illinois since the passage of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act; and

WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Act and its purposes, as amended on numerous occasions throughout the years since its enactment, are fundamentally sound; and

WHEREAS, after twenty-nine years of experience under the Act, it is now timely and appropriate to undertake a review of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and related environmental laws and regulations to identify any beneficial modifications, clarifications or reorganization of the Act and its methods of implementation that would make Illinois' environmental laws more effective, understandable and useful in accomplishing its purposes and furthering the overall public interest and good; and

WHEREAS, it is desirable to establish a commission representing a broad and diverse cross section of environmental, business and governmental interests to discuss, investigate and recommend measures to streamline, clarify and improve the effectiveness of the Environmental Protection Act based upon the State's experience under the Act, a review of environmental issues presently facing Illinois and its citizens and the current status of Illinois' invaluable and irreplaceable environmental resources;

THEREFORE, I, George Ryan, order the following:

I.ESTABLISHMENT

There shall be established the Illinois Environmental Regulatory Review Commission (IERRC).

II.PURPOSE

The purpose of the Commission shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

A.To research and make recommendations for streamlining and updating the Illinois Environmental Protection Act (the Act) in an effort to make the Act easier to understand and provide for greater consistency and less overlapping of duties among the environmental agencies charged with enforcing the Act.

B.To study and make recommendations for changes to the Act designed to eliminate inconsistencies, clarify confusing provisions, repeal outdated or unnecessary provisions, and consolidate duplicative provisions of the Act, where appropriate.

C.To suggest necessary corresponding changes to other related Acts, including but not limited to, the Groundwater Protection Act, the Solid Waste Management Act, and the Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act.

D.To implement recommendations by working with the Governor's Office, appropriate state and local government agencies and departments, members of the General Assembly, the business and environmental communities and organizations.

III.MEMBERSHIP

A.The Commission shall consist of a Chairperson and at least 15 but not more than 25 additional members, all appointed by the Governor.

B.Members may include, but are not limited to, persons who are active in and knowledgeable about the following areas: environment, business, engineering, law and local government.

C.Members, with the exception of the Chairperson, shall serve one-year terms without compensation, but may be reimbursed for expenses.

D.The Commission will be provided assistance and necessary staff support services by the Office of the Governor and the agencies of state government involved in the issues to be addressed by the commission.

E.The Commission shall submit an annual report to the Governor.

IV.EFFECTIVE DATE

This Executive Order Number 18 (1999) shall be effective upon filing with the Secretary of State. GEORGE H. RYAN Governor