State AG Database – Illinois

The following is a list of actions taken by the Illinois Attorney General to ensure that environmental laws are fully implemented and enforced:

• Lawsuits v. Federal Government

• Lawsuits v. Other Public Entities

• Lawsuits v. Private Actors

• Defense of Federal Standards

• Legislative Inputs

• Other Interventions

Lawsuits v. Federal Government

American Farm Bureau Federation v. EPA (D.C. Cir. 2009): Multi-state lawsuit challenging the adequacy of EPA’s 2006 revision to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) regulating soot pollution under the Clean Air Act.

New Jersey et al. v. EPA (D.C. Cir. 2008): Multi-state challenge the EPA’s decision to migrate mercury regulations from section 112 to section 111 of the Clean Air Act.

Massachusetts v. EPA (2007): Multi-state challenge to EPA denial of petition to regulate GHGs from motor vehicles under CAA.

New York v. EPA (D.C. Cir. 2006): Multi-state challenge to 2002 EPA rules modifying maintenance exceptions to New Source Review.

New York v. U.S. EPA (D.C. Cir. 2005): Multi-state challenge to 2002 EPA rule creating and modifying standards for the New Source Review process.

New York v. Bodman (S.D.N.Y 2005): Multi-state lawsuit challenging the Department of Energy (DOE)’s failure to create energy efficiency standards for consumer appliances according to the timeline established by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (ECPA).

Lawsuits v. Other Public Entities

Illinois Coal Mine Permitting Process Reforms (2014): Settlement reached with Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requiring DNR to improve transparency and public participation in the coal permitting process.

Lawsuits v. Private Actors

Settlement with Volkswagen for Emissions Defeat Devices (2016): Settlement of consumer protection claims raised by a multi-state coalition of state attorneys general against Volkswagen for selling vehicles equipped with “defeat device” software intended to circumvent emissions standards and concealing this software from regulators and the public.

Settlement, Connecticut v. Hyundai Motor Co. (Conn. Super. Ct. 2016): Multi-state settlement of consumer-protection claims against car manufacturers that overstated their vehicles’ fuel efficiency.

Defense of Federal Standards

West Virginia v. EPA (D.C. Cir. Oct 23, 2015): Multi-state intervention to join EPA’s defense of Clean Power Plan against challenge mounted by other states and industry petitioners.

North Dakota v. United States Environmental Protection Agency (D.C. Cir. 2015): Eighteen states filed amicus brief in support of EPA in litigation challenging New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) regulating carbon dioxide emission from new and modified power plants

Michigan v. EPA (2015): Fifteen states intervened in lawsuit to defend EPA standards regulating mercury and other air pollutants from the power sector.

Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA (2014): Multiple states intervened in lawsuit to defend EPA rules concerning regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from stationary and mobile sources.

EPA v. EME Homer City Generation (2014): Ten states intervened in lawsuit to support EPA rule on cross-state air pollution against state and industry challenge.

Legislative Inputs

Coal and Coke Regulations, House Bill 5939 (2014): Illinois AG co-authored legislative proposal to regulate bulk materials storage facilities that handle petroleum coke and other refinery production materials in response to air pollution violations linked to several facilities on Chicago’s southeast side.

Other Interventions

Green 20 State AG Coalition (2016): Group of 17 State AGs and Former Vice President Al Gore announced a coalition of states committed to taking creative steps to combat climate change, including investigations into fossil fuel companies and climate-related disclosures.