Illinois Legislative News: October 14, 2024
Third Reading Consulting Group
Illinois Leaders Travel to Japan to Promote the State
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other Illinois leaders went on a six-day trade mission to Japan from October 5 to 10. 49 government and business leaders joined the governor in Japan, including House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside), Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Kristen Richards, Intersect Illinois CEO Christy George, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association President and CEO Mark Denzler, ComEd CEO Gil Quiniones, and Related Midwest President Curt Bailey.
The Japan trip is part of a series of international trips led by Gov. Pritzker and aimed at promoting Illinois as a good location for foreign companies to establish or expand business in the U.S. The Governor’s Office is prioritizing foreign investments in key industry sectors laid out in the DCEO 2024 Economic Growth Plan: life sciences; quantum computing, AI, and microelectronics; clean energy production and manufacturing; advanced manufacturing; next generation agriculture and agricultural technology; and transportation, distribution, and logistics.
The trip may have already contributed to a successful business expansion. Sysmex America, a medical device subsidiary of Japanese company Sysmex, announced plans to expand in the Chicago Suburbs on the first day Illinois leaders were in Japan. Sysmex already operates facilities in Buffalo Grove, Vernon Hills, and Mundelein and plans to invest an additional $20.6M to expand its presence in Illinois and create 110 new full-time jobs. Following the news from Sysmex, Gov. Pritzker stated, “it is opportunities like this that make these trade missions so rewarding.”
Second Leak Reported at ADM CCS Facility
On September 27, Archer-Daniels-Midland Company’s (ADM) carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) facility in Decatur reported a second leak. The initial leak occurred in August, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent ADM a notice for violating the federal Safe Drinking Water Act at its Decatur CCS facility due to a lack of proper monitoring and failure to keep substances away from unauthorized areas. ADM reported the second leak to the EPA and has since paused CCS operations at the site.
ADM opened its CCS facility in Decatur in 2011. Since then, Illinois has been a leader in regulating the emerging industry of CCS. The General Assembly passed SB 1289, The Safety and Aid for the Environment in Carbon Capture and Sequestration (SAFE CCS) Act, at the end of the 2024 regular session, and it was signed into law by the governor on July 18. The legislation creates a regulatory framework for CCS operations in Illinois. Recognizing that CCS technology is still developing, the SAFE CCS Act places a moratorium on the construction of new CCS technology for two years, establishes a strict permitting process through the Illinois EPA for granting authority for new pipeline development, and sets a framework for emergency response. The bill received bipartisan support and was backed by both the CCS industry and environmental groups.
One component that some legislators pushed for but was not included in the SAFE CCS legislation is specific protections or even a complete moratorium on CCS operations in the Mahomet Aquifer region of Central Illinois. The news of two leaks at the ADM facility, located just south of the Mahomet Aquifer, has only heightened the concerns of Central Illinois’ lawmakers. Reps. Brandon Schweizer (R-Danville) and Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) each introduced legislation, HB 5870 and HB 5874, to prohibit new CCS operations on any federally designated sole source aquifer such as the Mahomet Aquifer. Sens. Paul Farci (D-Champaign) and Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) expressed support for similar proposals. Legislators may look to pass a CCS trailer bill in fall veto session, a January lame duck session, or the 2025 regular session. They have until July 2026, when the new construction moratorium ends, to work out any remaining CCS issues.
Important Upcoming Dates – Statewide
November 5 – 2024 General Election
November 12-14 – Veto Session Week 1
November 19-21 – Veto Session Week 2
January 2025 – Lame Duck Session (Unconfirmed)