SB3056 EngrossedLRB098 18041 JLK 53170 b
1 AN ACT concerning local government.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act
5is amended by adding Section 56 as follows:
6 (70 ILCS 2605/56 new)
7 Sec. 56. Resource recovery.
8 (a) The General Assembly finds that:
9 (1) technological advancements in wastewater treatment
10 have resulted in the ability to capture recovered resources
11 and produce renewable energy resources from material
12 previously discarded;
13 (2) the capture and beneficial reuse of recovered
14 resources and the production of renewable energy resources
15 serves a wide variety of environmental benefits including,
16 but not limited to, improved water quality, reduction of
17 greenhouse gases, reduction of carbon footprint, reduction
18 of landfill usage, reduced usage of hydrocarbon-based
19 fuels, return of nutrients to the food cycle, and reduced
20 water consumption;
21 (3) the district is a leader in the field of wastewater
22 treatment and possesses the expertise and experience
23 necessary to capture and beneficially reuse or prepare for

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1 beneficial reuse recovered resources, including renewable
2 energy resources; and
3 (4) the district has the opportunity and ability to
4 change the approach to wastewater treatment from that of a
5 waste material to be disposed of to one of a collection of
6 resources to be recovered, reused, and sold, with the
7 opportunity to provide the district with additional
8 sources of revenue and reduce operating costs.
9 (b) As used in this Section:
10 "Recovered resources" means any material produced by or
11extracted from the operation of district facilities,
12including, but not limited to:
13 (1) solids, including solids from the digestion
14 process, semi-solids, or liquid materials;
15 (2) gases, including biogas, carbon dioxide, and
16 methane;
17 (3) nutrients;
18 (4) algae;
19 (5) treated effluent; and
20 (6) thermal energy or hydropower.
21 "Renewable energy facility" shall have the same meaning as
22a facility defined under Section 5 of the Renewable Energy
23Production District Act.
24 "Renewable energy resources" means resources as defined
25under Section 1-10 of the Illinois Power Agency Act.
26 "Resource recovery" means the recovery of material or

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1energy from waste as defined under Section 3.435 of the
2Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Act.
3 (c) The district may sell or otherwise dispose of recovered
4resources or renewable energy resources resulting from the
5operation of district facilities, and may construct, maintain,
6finance, and operate such activities, facilities, and other
7works as are necessary for that purpose.
8 (d) The district may take in materials which are used in
9the generation of usable products from recovered resources, or
10which increase the production of renewable energy resources,
11including, but not limited to food waste, organic fraction of
12solid waste, commercial or industrial organic wastes, fats,
13oils, and greases, and vegetable debris.
14 (e) The authorizations granted to the district under this
15Section shall not be construed as modifying or limiting any
16other law or regulation. Any actions taken pursuant to the
17authorities granted in this Section must be in compliance with
18all applicable laws and regulations, including, but not limited
19to, the Environmental Protection Act, and rules adopted under
20that Act.
21 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
22becoming law.