1. State Land Use Planning and Management Act (HB 1123)
Introduced into the House by Representatives Schlickerman and Berman, the bill was supposed to stay throughout the session in the Interim Study Calendar. One of the critical issue that is destroying many valuable resources in Illinois is land use. The resources are damaged due to development of flood plains, strip mining and other similar activities.
2. Scenic River Act (HB 481)
Sponsored by Representative MacDonald, the bill failed to pass the House. There are several other river bills expected to be presented in future sessions, one of them being the Natural Rivers and Wetlands Act (HB 2179) which was introduced by Representative Hirschfeld.
3. Flood Plain Zoning
There are two bills introduced by Senator Knuepfer to sort out the flood plain development problem. Those two Senate Bills were SB 240 and SB 238.
4. Lake Michigan Bill of Rights Act (HB 494 and HB 1868)
HB 494 was the more comprehensize bill compared to HB 1868 in its provisions for protection. HB 494 was introduced by Representative Mann and HB 1868 was introduced by Representative Davis. The HB 1868 should be recalled in the near future sessions as it is placed on the Interim Study Calendar. Public access to the lake frontage and natural integrity of Lake Michigan's land is necessary to be preserved as these bills supports it.
5. Reclamation of Stripmined Lands
Two bills introduced by Representative McMaster, HB 1276 and HB 1277 could reduce the extensive acreage problems in the wastelands due to practices of strip mining. HB 1276 is entitled the Unclaimed Lands Restoration Act and HB 1277 amend the existing Surface Mined Land Conservation and Reclamation Act. Those two bills would reduce one of the problems and should pass when it is recalled from the Calendar.
6. Pesticide Laws
The control of pesticides would have been transferred from the Interagency Committee on Pesticides to the Pollution Control Board if HB 702 and HB 703 was not tabled in the House of Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. HB 702 and HB 703 was introduced by Representatives Katz and Schneider. THe agricultural sector should be relieved of their power of control over pesticides because toxins in those pesticides should be regulated carefully and need to be controlled by a non-biased sector.
7. Prohibition of High Phosphate Detergent
Introduced by Representative Houlihan, HB 860 would have prohibited the sale of detergents with phosphate content of 8.7% or higher. This bill should be reintroduced because wastewater treatement is very costly and the prohibition of high phosphours products is a logical solution.
8. Illinois Beverage Container Act
HB 290 and SB 073 would provide a minimum cash deposit to be placed on all certified and non-certified beverage containers, and is administered by the Pollution Control Board. HB 290 was sponsored by Representative Yourell and SB 073 was sponsored by Senator Glass.
9. Amendment of Public Utilities Act (HB 1692)
HB 1692 was sponsored by Representative Rayson and failed to pass the House. This bill would have amended the Public Utilities Act to enforce public utility to satisfy the standards or show a good efford towards such compliance with the federal and state air and water quality standards.
