July 11, 2013 - The Board, on July 11, 2013, accepted for hearing and adopted a first notice opinion and order in an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) rulemaking proposing procedural rules for establishing alternative thermal effluent limitations under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Illinois Administrative Code. The proposal that was filed with the Board on June 21, 2013 was docketed as In the Matter of: Procedural Rules for Alternative Thermal Effluent Limitations Under Section 316(a) of the Clean Water Act: Proposed New 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 106, Subpart K and Amended Section 304.141(c) (R13-20).

April 18, 2013 - The Board, on April 18, 2013, accepted for hearing a proposed rulemaking to address the closure of coal combustion waste surface impoundments. The proposal would add a Subpart B to Part 840 of the Board’s regulations. Ameren Energy Resources (AER), on April 9, 2013, filed the proposed rulemaking with the Board, which docketed the rulemaking as In the Matter of: Site-Specific Rule for the Closure of Ameren Energy Resources Ash Ponds: Proposed New 35 Ill. Adm. Code 840, Subpart B (R13-19).

November 7, 2013 - The Board, on November 7, 2013, accepted for hearing a proposal to add Part 841 to the Board’s waste disposal regulations. The rulemaking, In the Matter of: Coal Combustion Waste (CCW) Ash Ponds and Surface Impoundments at Power Generating Facilities: Proposed New 35 Ill. Adm. Code 841, (R14-10), was filed with the Board on October 28, 2013 by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

January 24, 2013 - On January 24, 2013, the Pollution Control Board adopted a single amendment to the Board’s existing procedural rule codified at 35 Ill. Adm. Code 101.108(d) “Board Proceedings.” The rulemaking is docketed as In the Matter of: Proposed Amendment to 35 Ill. Adm. Code 101.108 9(d) Conforming to P.A. 93-509 Re Board Majority (R13-9).

May 16, 2013 - The Board, on May 16, 2013, adopted a final order adopting minor technical corrections to recently-adopted amendments to 35 Ill. Adm. Code 302.208, published in the Illinois Register at 36 Ill. Reg. 18863 (Dec. 28, 2012). See In the Matter of: Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards for Boron, Fluoride and Manganese: Amendments to 35 Ill. Adm. Code 301.106, 302.Subparts B, C, E, F and 303.312, R11-18 (Nov. 15, 2012). The Board opened a corrections subdocket captioned Technical Corrections to Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards Amendments for Fluoride and Manganese: Amendments to 35 Ill. Adm. Code 302.208(b) and (e), R11-18(B) (Feb.7, 2013).

January 10, 2013 - On January 10, 2013, the Pollution Control Board adopted amendments to its solid waste and special waste hauling regulations. The rulemaking is docketed as In the Matter of: Proposed Amendments to Special Waste Hauling Permit Regulations to Implement Public Act 97-1081: 35 Ill. Adm. Code 809.204 and 809.212 (R13-8).

November 7, 2013 - The Board, on November 7, 2013, adopted a second-notice opinion and order to amend the Board’s air pollution rules. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) filed the rulemaking on March 18, 2013. The rulemaking is docketed as Vapor Recovery Rules: Amendments to 35 Ill. Adm. Code Parts 201, 218, and 219 (R13-18).

May 16, 2013 - The Board, on May 16, 2013, adopted amendments to the Tiered Approach to Corrective Action Objectives (TACO) rules (35 Ill. Adm. Code 742). The amendments include the addition of a new exposure route under TACO: the indoor inhalation exposure route. To protect building occupants, this exposure route addresses the potential for vapors to migrate into buildings from subsurface volatile chemical contamination, a process commonly known as “vapor intrusion.”

December 19, 2013 - The Board, on December 19, 2013, adopted a final-notice opinion and order to amend the Board’s air pollution rules. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency had initiated the proceeding by filing a rulemaking proposal on March 18, 2013. The rulemaking is docketed as Vapor Recovery Rules: Amendments to 35 Ill. Adm. Code Parts 201, 218, and 219, R13-18.

October 3, 2013 - The Board, on October 3, 2013, issued a final order adopting technical corrections to recent amendments of the Part 620 groundwater quality standards (GQS). On April 18, 2013, the Board opened a subdocket B in this proceeding and proposed first-notice amendments consisting of three technical corrections to the GQS amendments adopted by the Board on October 4, 2012 (Proposed Amendments to Groundwater Quality Standards (35 Ill. Adm. Code 620), R08-18). On August 22, 2013, the Board proposed second-notice amendments, and on September 17, 2013, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules issued a certification of no objection concerning those amendments. The technical corrections were needed due to scriveners’ errors that occurred during the R08-18 rulemaking.

November 7, 2013 - On November 7, 2013, the Illinois Pollution Control Board adopted a first-notice opinion and order to amend Parts 501, 502, and 504 of the Board’s regulations dealing with the Board’s agriculture related water pollution regulations. On March 1, 2012, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) filed the proposal, which is docketed as In the Matter of: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs): Proposed Amendments to 35 Ill. Adm. Code Parts 501, 502, and 504, (R12-23).

December 19, 2013 - The Board, on December 19, 2013, adopted a first-notice opinion and order to amend the Illinois Primary Drinking Water Standards relating to certification of laboratories analyzing drinking water samples. Specifically, the proposed amendments would allow a drinking water supplier to use a laboratory certified by a sister state for a parameter where no United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) -certified or Illinois-certified laboratory exists for that parameter. Currently, laboratories used must be certified and approved either by the USPEA or the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). On September 19, 2013, the IEPA filed this rulemaking docketed as In the Matter of: Amendments to Primary Drinking Water Standards: 35 Ill. Adm. Code 611.490 (R14-9).

April 4, 2013 - The Board, on April 4, 2013, adopted a first-notice opinion and order to amend the Board’s air pollution rules. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) filed the rulemaking on March 18, 2013. The rulemaking is docketed as In the Matter of: Vapor Recovery Rules: Amendments to 35 Ill. Adm. Code Parts 201, 218, and 219 (R13-18).

April 18, 2013 - The Board, on April 18, 2013, opened a subdocket B in the R08-18 rulemaking and proposed, for first notice, technical corrections to recently-adopted amendments of the Part 620 groundwater quality standards (GQS). The adopted amendments were published in the Illinois Register at 36 Ill. Reg. 15206 (Oct. 19, 2012) and became effective October 5, 2012. See Proposed Amendments to Groundwater Quality Standards (35 Ill. Adm. Code 620), R08-18 (Oct. 4, 2012). The technical corrections are needed due to scriveners’ errors that occurred during the R08-18 rulemaking.

October 3, 2013 - On October 3, 2013, the Pollution Control Board adopted a proposed second notice opinion and order to solicit comments from participants on the changes made from first notice in the rulemaking docketed as In the Matter of: Water Quality Standards and Effluent Limitations for the Chicago Area Waterway System and Lower Des Plaines River: Proposed Amendments to 35 Ill. Adm. Code 301, 302, 303, and 304 (R08-9 Subdocket C). Based on comments and upon re-examination, at second notice the Board proposes an Upper Dresden Island Pool (UDIP) aquatic life use rather than designating UDIP as General Use. The Board continues to believe that UDIP is not impacted by the Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) Factors, and that the Clean Water Act (CWA) goal of fishable is attainable in the UDIP.

November 21, 2013 - On November 21, 2013, the Pollution Control Board adopted aquatic life use designations in the rulemaking docketed as In the Matter of: Water Quality Standards and Effluent Limitations for the Chicago Area Waterway System and Lower Des Plaines River: Proposed Amendments to 35 Ill. Adm. Code 301, 302, 303, and 304 (R08-9C). The Board adopted an Upper Dresden Island Pool (UDIP) aquatic life use designation rather than designating UDIP as General use. The Board continues to believe that UDIP is not impacted by the Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) Factors, and that the Clean Water Act (CWA) goal of fishable is attainable in the UDIP.

March 7, 2013 - The Board, on March 7, 2013, proposed amendments to the Tiered Approach to Corrective Action Objectives (TACO) rules (35 Ill. Adm. Code 742) for second-notice review by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) (5 ILCS 100/5-40(c) (2010)). The amendments include the addition of a new exposure route under TACO: the indoor inhalation exposure route. To protect building occupants, this exposure route addresses the potential for vapors to migrate into buildings from subsurface volatile chemical contamination, a process commonly known as “vapor intrusion” or “VI.”

August 22, 2013 - The Board, on August 22, 2013, proposed, for second-notice review by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR), technical corrections to recently-adopted amendments of the Part 620 groundwater quality standards (GQS). On April 18, 2013, the Board opened a subdocket B in this proceeding and proposed first-notice amendments consisting of three technical corrections to the GQS amendments adopted by the Board on October 4, 2012 (Proposed Amendments to Groundwater Quality Standards (35 Ill. Adm. Code 620), R08-18). The technical corrections are needed due to scriveners’ errors that occurred during the R08-18 rulemaking.

April 18, 2013 - The Board, on April 18, 2013, adopted a second-notice opinion and order in rulemaking to make technical corrections to recently-adopted amendments to 35 Ill. Adm. Code 302.208, published in the Illinois Register at 36 Ill. Reg. 18863 (Dec. 28, 2012). See In the Matter of: Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards for Boron, Fluoride and Manganese: Amendments to 35 Ill. Adm. Code 301.106, 302.Subparts B, C, E, F and 303.312, R11-18 (Nov. 15, 2012). The Board opened a corrections subdocket captioned Technical Corrections to Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards Amendments for Fluoride and Manganese: Amendments to 35 Ill. Adm. Code 302.208 (b) and (e), R11-18(B) (Feb.7, 2013).

July 25, 2013 - On July 25, 2013, the Board granted Ameren Energy Resources’ (Ameren), request for a one-year stay in a proposed rulemaking to address the closure of coal combustion waste surface impoundments. The proposed rule would add a Subpart B to Part 840 of the Board’s regulations. Ameren, on April 9, 2013, filed the proposed rulemaking with the Board, which docketed the rulemaking as In the Matter of: Site-Specific Rule for the Closure of Ameren Energy Resources Ash Ponds: Proposed New 35 Ill. Adm. Code 840, Subpart B (R13-19).