Dive Summary:

• Governor Pat Quinn signs into law House Bill 3881 which bans building or expanding landfills in Cook County, Illinois
• Proponents of the bill say that Cook County is too densely populated to support new landfills
• Supports of the bill included the Sierra Club, Illinois Environmental Council and Land Reclamation and Recycling Association

From the article:

Governor Pat Quinn signed a new law to further protect the environment by preventing both new landfills from being built and existing landfills from expanding in Cook County. The city of Chicago has maintained a similar ban since 1983 and the new law, which has strong environmental group support, broadens the existing ban to cover the entire county. The law is designed to protect Cook County, which is densely populated, from air and water contaminants.

“In Illinois, we are working to preserve our natural resources for future generations,” Governor Quinn said. “Rather than expanding landfills, we will continue to restore land, build parks and conserve natural areas like the Millennium Reserve.”