Photo: Brian Larson

Please call your state representative!

Release Date:  Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Details:

These bills recently passed the state Senate incredibly without a single nay vote. We have to stop them in the House! Please call your state representative in regard to these bills. if you're not sure who your rep is, go here.

SB 2580 - Expediting permits
Sponsor: Sen. Clayborne in Senate/ Rep. John Bradley in House
This bill shortens the time that citizens and groups like the Sierra Club may comment on pollution permits. It introduces the concept that if a business is willing to pay a huge fee, their permit moves to the head of the line. Although the fee is not a bribe, it creates a psychological pressure to grant the permit. Businesses are not paying $100,000 to be turned down. The shortened comment time makes it hard for citizen groups like the Sierra Club to object because we have to approve the expenditure of lawyer fees at executive committee meetings that are held every two months.

SB 2744 - Prohibits lawsuits against livestock operations during the permitting process
Sponsors: Sen. DeMuzio in Senate/ Rep Dan Reitz in House
Provides that no person may bring a civil suit based on potential nuisance with respect to a proposed livestock management facility until all required federal, State, and local permits and approvals for the proposed facility have been granted. Prohibits lawsuits until animals are present and operations have actually begun at the proposed facility.

SB 2333 - Prevents IEPA from acting on tips from anonymous whistleblowers
Sponsors: Sen. Sen. Watson/Rep. Kurt Granberg in House
This bill will prevent a person who sees pollution rules being broken from making an anonymous tip to the IEPA. So if a person is concerned about reprisals at work, they would probably hesitate to contact the IEPA no matter how serious the violation.