Continuing our countdown of new Illinois environmental laws taking effect on January 1, 2016 is Public Act 99-0073, which increases penalties for violations of the Rivers, Lakes, and Streams Act and permits the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to issue orders requiring remedial actions.
This new law amends the Rivers, Lakes, and Streams Act, 615 ILCS 5/26a, which generally prohibits discharge or other disposition of materials into waters within the State of Illinois without a permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The new law adds language granting DNR with the authority to “issue orders requiring all necessary remedial actions to correct violations of this Act and impose the civil penalties provided in this Section.” Penalties are also increased for violations of the Act, which previously imposed fines of not less than $100 nor more than $1000. Now, violators “shall be liable for a civil penalty of up to 2 times the applicable permit fee, but not to exceed $5,000 for a violation.”
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