Bill
HB 3294
HB 3294 requires the Illinois EPA to regulate organic-w waste composting with permits (except small noncommercial or certain siting/operationally exempt operations).
Summary (concise)
- HB 3294 amends the Illinois Environmental Protection Act to (1) add a statutory definition of “organic waste” and (2) require Illinois EPA permitting for organic‑waste composting operations (other than landscape waste composting), with limited exemptions for very small or properly sited/operated facilities.
Purpose and intent
- To bring organic‑waste composting operations under the Agency’s permitting and oversight framework to reduce improper disposal and ensure composting is conducted in a manner protective of public health and the environment, while preserving small‑scale, noncommercial composting and operations that meet specified siting/operational standards.
Key provisions
- New definition (Sec. 3.309, as added to the Environmental Protection Act): defines “organic waste” to include source‑separated food scraps and related residuals (and related organic materials such as certain uncontaminated paper, wood, non‑hazardous livestock and crop residues), excluding landscape waste. (Exact statutory phrasing appears in the bill.)
- Permit requirement (amendment to Sec. 21): Prohibits conducting an organic‑waste composting operation (other than landscape waste composting) without an Agency permit.
- Two statutory exemptions from the permit requirement:
1. Small, noncommercial operations that (i) have no more than 25 cubic yards on‑site at any one time of source‑separated organic waste, composting additives, composting material, or end‑product compost and (ii) are not engaging in commercial activity.
2. Operations that satisfy certain siting and operational requirements specified in the bill (the text references these requirements but the bill text in the provided excerpt does not enumerate them).
- Related edits: HB 3294 also amends other provisions of the Environmental Protection Act (Sections 21 and 22.34) to incorporate the new permitting/backstop authority for organic composting operations and to place those operations under the Act’s prohibited‑acts enforcement scheme.
Who would be affected
- Subject to permitting: commercial composters, municipal/scale‑up composting programs that process source‑separated organic waste and do not qualify for an exemption.
- Likely affected parties include food‑waste haulers, transfer/processing facilities, some community composting programs, and potentially farms or businesses that operate composting at scale.
- Not affected/exempt: typical home backyard composting, very small noncommercial piles meeting the 25‑cubic‑yard threshold, and operations that meet the bill’s siting/operational exemption criteria.
Potential impacts
- Regulatory: expands Illinois EPA oversight and permit obligations for organic composting, likely increasing compliance, permitting timelines, and recordkeeping for covered operators.
- Environmental/public health: aims to reduce open dumping and poorly managed composting, improving odor, vector, and runoff controls if permits and standards are enforced.
- Small/local programs: the explicit 25‑cubic‑yard, noncommercial exemption is intended to protect household and very small community composting from new permitting costs; other community programs may need to confirm eligibility under siting/operational exemptions.
Procedural status (selected actions)
- Filed: Feb 25, 2025 (Rep. Hoan Huynh primary sponsor).
- House action: Passed 3rd Reading (Short Debate) 4/8/2025 — vote recorded 112‑0.
- Senate action: Arrived in Senate 4/9/2025; placed on Senate calendar and referred to Assignments. Chief Senate sponsor: Sen. Rachel Ventura; alternate chief co‑sponsor: Sen. Adriane Johnson.
- Sponsors/co‑sponsors: Rep. Hoan Huynh (primary), with multiple House co‑sponsors (Lilian Jiménez, Martin J. Moylan, Sonya M. Harper, Joyce Mason, Theresa Mah, Kevin John Olickal, etc.).
Notes and caveats
- The bill text excerpt provided is partially redacted/garbled in places (particularly the exact list of materials in the definition and the detailed siting/operational exemption criteria). Final impacts and compliance obligations will depend on the complete statutory language and any implementing regulations the Illinois EPA/Board adopts following enactment.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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