Enhanced Public Participation Plan

On September 9, 2024, the Illinois EPA issued its 2024 Draft Enhanced Public Participation Plan (Draft Plan) for public review and comment. The Draft Plan presents the Agency’s public participation goals and outlines a framework of tools and strategies for enhanced public participation efforts that may be tailored to Illinois EPA programs and activities. The Draft Plan strengthens Illinois EPA’s commitment to ensuring the Agency meets its nondiscrimination obligations under applicable civil rights laws, advancing environmental justice (EJ), and enhancing its public participation efforts.

The framework highlighted in the Draft Plan outlines tools, strategies, and steps under three key components:

• EJ and Accessibility Considerations
• Preparing for the Public Participation Process
• Steps in the Public Participation Process

Although this plan does not create new legal requirements or mandatory obligations for the Agency, the plan provides the public with an understanding of the Agency’s public participation tools and expectations of Agency staff. The Agency recognizes public participation as an active and intentional exchange between the Agency, the members of the public, and the regulated community. This Draft Plan updates and supersedes the Agency’s 2018 Enhanced Public Participation Plan.

Comments on the below Draft Enhanced Public Participation Plan are being accepted until November 8, 2024.

2024 Draft Enhanced Public Participation Plan

[PLAN DE PARTICIPACIÓN PÚBLICA AMPLIFICADA] [خطة تعزيز المشاركة العامة] [ઉન્નત જાહેર ભાગીદારી યોજના] [보강된 대중 참여 계획] [PLAN ZWIĘKSZONEGO UDZIAŁU SPOŁECZEŃSTWA] [РАСШИРЕННЫЙ ПЛАН УЧАСТИЯ ОБЩЕСТВЕННОСТИ] [加强公众参与计划] [PINAHUSAY NA PLANO SA PAKIKILAHOK NG PUBLIKO] [加強公眾參與計劃]

Public Notice

[Aviso de Período de Comentarios Públicos] [إشعار بشأن فترة التعليقات العامة] [જાહેર ટિપ્પણી સમયગાળાની સૂચના] [공개 의견 기간 공지] [Ogłoszenie o okresie konsultacji społecznych] [Уведомление о периоде проведения общественных слушаний] [公众意见征询期之通知] [Abiso sa Panahon ng Pampublikong Komento] [公眾評議期之通知]

On February 14, 2024, Illinois EPA voluntarily entered into an Informal Resolution Agreement (IRA) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to resolve a civil rights complaint concerning the Illinois EPA’s issuance of an air construction permit for a metal shredder to be located on the Southeast Side of Chicago. Under the IRA, Illinois EPA committed to revising several of its plans and polices, including its 2018 Enhanced Public Participation Plan.

Illinois EPA’s 2018 Enhanced Public Participation Plan created a foundation for the Agency to enhance its public participation efforts and better advance EJ. The 2018 Plan was developed, in part, due to a requirement under the 2010 Geneva Energy settlement agreement between Illinois EPA and U.S. EPA resolving a civil rights complaint. The 2018 plan heavily focused on permitting actions. The 2024 Draft Plan is reorganized to expand the Agency’s public participation efforts across other Agency programs and activities, include key terms and definitions, highlight tools and strategies for an enhanced public participation process, and provide clarification on the methods for public participation.