The House and Senate will hold separate subject matter hearings on identical bills aimed at "truck attracting facilities." The Senate Environment and Conservation Committee will hold a subject matter on SB 838 (Cervantes-D) as amended, and the House Energy & Environment Committee will hold a subject matter hearing on the identical HB 5013 (Avelar-D). These bills are being pushed by the environmental groups who believe that emissions from trucks entering, leaving, idling, etc., at “truck attracting facilities” (warehouses, distribution centers, intermodal facilities) create undue burden to environmental justice communities.
 
The bills provide that the Illinois EPA shall conduct truck counting and facility emissions monitoring, and, 12 months later, adopt rules providing for the facility-by-facility review of regulated facilities, along with a menu of measures to reduce the impact of air pollution. The bills further require the Agency to disclose air pollution impacts on maternal, infant, and child health, educational attainment, and the economy.

 

IFCA opposes both pieces of legislation. IFCA believes that neither HB5013 nor SB838 will move this spring but will come back in the fall veto session.