Public Act 098-0731

HB4716 Enrolled LRB098 18040 JLK 53169 b

AN ACT concerning local government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act

is amended by adding Section 56 as follows:

(70 ILCS 2605/56 new)

Sec. 56. Resource recovery.

(a) The General Assembly finds that:

(1) technological advancements in wastewater treatment

have resulted in the ability to capture recovered resources

and produce renewable energy resources from material

previously discarded;

(2) the capture and beneficial reuse of recovered

resources and the production of renewable energy resources

serves a wide variety of environmental benefits including,

but not limited to, improved water quality, reduction of

greenhouse gases, reduction of carbon footprint, reduction

of landfill usage, reduced usage of hydrocarbon-based

fuels, return of nutrients to the food cycle, and reduced

water consumption;

(3) the district is a leader in the field of wastewater

treatment and possesses the expertise and experience

necessary to capture and beneficially reuse or prepare for

beneficial reuse recovered resources, including renewable

energy resources; and

(4) the district has the opportunity and ability to

change the approach to wastewater treatment from that of a

waste material to be disposed of to one of a collection of

resources to be recovered, reused, and sold, with the

opportunity to provide the district with additional

sources of revenue and reduce operating costs.

(b) As used in this Section:

"Recovered resources" means any material produced by or

extracted from the operation of district facilities,

including, but not limited to:

(1) solids, including solids from the digestion

process, semi-solids, or liquid materials;

(2) gases, including biogas, carbon dioxide, and

methane;

(3) nutrients;

(4) algae;

(5) treated effluent; and

(6) thermal energy or hydropower.

"Renewable energy facility" shall have the same meaning as

a facility defined under Section 5 of the Renewable Energy

Production District Act.

"Renewable energy resources" means resources as defined

under Section 1-10 of the Illinois Power Agency Act.

"Resource recovery" means the recovery of material or

energy from waste as defined under Section 3.435 of the

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Act.

(c) The district may sell or otherwise dispose of recovered

resources or renewable energy resources resulting from the

operation of district facilities, and may construct, maintain,

finance, and operate such activities, facilities, and other

works as are necessary for that purpose.

(d) The district may take in materials which are used in

the generation of usable products from recovered resources, or

which increase the production of renewable energy resources,

including, but not limited to food waste, organic fraction of

solid waste, commercial or industrial organic wastes, fats,

oils, and greases, and vegetable debris.

(e) The authorizations granted to the district under this

Section shall not be construed as modifying or limiting any

other law or regulation. Any actions taken pursuant to the

authorities granted in this Section must be in compliance with

all applicable laws and regulations, including, but not limited

to, the Environmental Protection Act, and rules adopted under

that Act.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

becoming law.