Bill > HB1880

This bill establishes the Phosphorus Credit Trading Program Act, which creates a framework for wastewater agencies in Illinois to trade credits generated from phosphorus reductions that exceed their permit requirements. The bill forms a Phosphorus Credit Trading Committee composed of representatives from state government, legislative leadership, and wastewater agencies of various sizes, which will develop guidelines for trading these phosphorus reduction credits. The committee will be tasked with creating a framework that limits trading to only wastewater agencies and will submit a report to the Governor, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and General Assembly. The Prairie Research Institute's Illinois Sustainable Technology Center will provide technical assistance to the committee. Following the committee's report, the EPA will have one year to propose rules for a phosphorus credit trading program, and the Pollution Control Board will then have one year to adopt those rules. The primary goals of the program are to reduce phosphorus discharge into state waters in a cost-effective manner and to incentivize wastewater agencies to exceed their current phosphorus reduction requirements. The bill defines key terms like "phosphorus" (a nonmetallic element) and specifies which types of wastewater agencies can participate in the trading program.