SPRINGFIELD – A harmful chemical found in most common receipt papers would be barred from use by Illinois businesses under legislation sponsored by State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) that passed the Senate today.
House Bill 2076 would prohibit bisphenol-A (BPA) from being used in paper for business and banking records such as cash register, debit card and sales receipts. BPA is present in most thermal receipt papers to develop color.
“BPA has been proven to cause harmful reproductive and developmental effects in animals,” Gillespie said. “We cannot stand by and wait for BPA’s effects on humans to be seen. We need to be proactive.”
PEORIA – State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) agrees that more must be done to protect the environment from climate change after Gov. JB Pritzker today signed an executive order relating to the environment.
“If we don’t do anything to reduce our carbon emissions, we are eventually going reach the point of no return,” Koehler said. “Gov. Pritzker is right to continue this fight and I look forward to working with him to expand green energy production and green energy jobs in Illinois.”
SPRINGFIELD- Generations of Central Illinois residents can now look forward to cleaner drinking water.
State Senator Scott Bennett’s (D-Champaign) initiative to protect residents across Central Illinois from contaminated drinking water was signed into law today. “The Mahomet Aquifer serves as a lifeline for our region. It’s our duty to protect this important resource for the sake of our children and generations to come,” said Bennett. “This proposal will further the mission of the Mahomet Aquifer Protection Alliance by instituting guidelines to protect our underground water source.”
The Aquifer serves as the primary water supply for 14 counties across Central Illinois including Champaign and Vermilion counties.
The Mahomet Aquifer Protection Alliance is a group of Central Illinois citizens who are committed to keeping the Aquifer free of contamination. Local communities across central Illinois have banded together to fight the disposal of dangerous toxins at the Clinton Landfill, which sits atop the Aquifer.
As a result of their efforts, last year the Mahomet Aquifer was designated as a Sole Source Aquifer, which provides federal protection.
“This legislation will move us one step closer to achieving our goal. However, we do recognize there may still be more work to do to ensure there is safe drinking water for central Illinois residents for generations to come,” said Bennett.
House Bill 1326 was signed into law on Friday, August 14 and goes into effect on January 1, 2016.