(70 ILCS 2605/56)

Sec. 56. Resource recovery.

(a) The General Assembly finds that:

(1) technological advancements in wastewater treatment have resulted in the ability to capture recovered resources and produce renewable energy resources from material previously discarded;

(2) the capture and beneficial reuse of recovered resources and the production of renewable energy resources serves a wide variety of environmental benefits including, but not limited to, improved water quality, reduction of greenhouse gases, reduction of carbon footprint, reduction of landfill usage, reduced usage of hydrocarbon-based fuels, return of nutrients to the food cycle, and reduced water consumption;

(3) the district is a leader in the field of wastewater treatment and possesses the expertise and experience necessary to capture and beneficially reuse or prepare for beneficial reuse recovered resources, including renewable energy resources; and

(4) the district has the opportunity and ability to change the approach to wastewater treatment from that of a waste material to be disposed of to one of a collection of resources to be recovered, reused, and sold, with the opportunity to provide the district with additional sources of revenue and reduce operating costs.

(b) As used in this Section:

"Distributed renewable energy generation device" has the meaning given to that term in Section 1-10 of the Illinois Power Agency Act.

"Recovered resources" means any material produced by or extracted from the operation of district facilities, including, but not limited to:

(1) solids, including solids from the digestion process, semi-solids, or liquid materials;

(2) gases, including biogas, carbon dioxide, and methane;

(3) nutrients;

(4) algae;

(5) treated effluent; and

(6) thermal energy or hydropower.

"Renewable energy facility" shall have the same meaning as a facility defined under Section 5 of the Renewable Energy Production District Act.

"Renewable energy resources" means resources as defined under Section 1-10 of the Illinois Power Agency Act.

"Resource recovery" means the recovery of material or energy from waste as defined under Section 3.435 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Act.

(c) The district may sell or otherwise dispose of recovered resources or renewable energy resources resulting from the operation of district facilities, and may construct, maintain, finance, and operate such activities, facilities, distributed renewable energy generation devices, and other works as are necessary for that purpose.

(d) The district may take in materials which are used in the generation of usable products from recovered resources, or which increase the production of renewable energy resources, including, but not limited to food waste, organic fraction of solid waste, commercial or industrial organic wastes, fats, oils, and greases, and vegetable debris.

(e) The authorizations granted to the district under this Section shall not be construed as modifying or limiting any other law or regulation. Any actions taken pursuant to the authorities granted in this Section must be in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Environmental Protection Act, and rules adopted under that Act.

(Source: P.A. 103-299, eff. 1-1-24.)