Bill Text: IL HR1076 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Cautions Wisconsin to not hastily approve permits for Foxconn Technology Group without proper environmental and public health impact studies.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 5-2)
Status: (Failed) 2019-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HR1076 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-HR1076-Introduced.html
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, The State of Wisconsin has provided substantial | ||||||
3 | economic incentives, including $3 billion in tax incentives, to | ||||||
4 | Foxconn Technology Group for the purpose of establishing three | ||||||
5 | new manufacturing facilities along the Wisconsin-Illinois | ||||||
6 | border; and
| ||||||
7 | WHEREAS, Residents on both sides of the border will | ||||||
8 | undoubtedly benefit from the creation of new jobs; Wisconsin | ||||||
9 | and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have waived | ||||||
10 | critical environmental and public health reviews to fast track | ||||||
11 | the project; and
| ||||||
12 | WHEREAS, Governor Walker and the Wisconsin State Assembly | ||||||
13 | have approved fast-tracking environmental permits, so that | ||||||
14 | construction on the three facilities may begin as soon as | ||||||
15 | reasonably possible; and
| ||||||
16 | WHEREAS, Foxconn has been allowed to fill 26 acres of | ||||||
17 | wetlands in Wisconsin with dredged materials without an | ||||||
18 | environmental impact study or input from the U.S. Army Corps of | ||||||
19 | Engineers; and
| ||||||
20 | WHEREAS, The wetlands affected in and around Racine County, | ||||||
21 | Wisconsin sit in the Des Plaines River watershed, which extends |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | into Illinois and is critical for clean water, flood water | ||||||
2 | storage, and the ecological integrity of the watershed; and
| ||||||
3 | WHEREAS, Foxconn is seeking to use approximately seven | ||||||
4 | million gallons of water per day from Lake Michigan, a shared | ||||||
5 | and primary source of drinking water for millions of people | ||||||
6 | throughout Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan; and
| ||||||
7 | WHEREAS, The Great Lakes Compact clearing states that water | ||||||
8 | from Lake Michigan be used for a "Group of largely residential | ||||||
9 | customers"; and
| ||||||
10 | WHEREAS, Foxconn has submitted a request for an air | ||||||
11 | pollution permit that would allow the three manufacturing | ||||||
12 | facilities the ability to emit high amounts of particulate, | ||||||
13 | including nitrous oxide and volatile organize material that | ||||||
14 | could lead to ozone damage; and
| ||||||
15 | WHEREAS, The Illinois Attorney General is seeking to | ||||||
16 | challenge the U.S. EPA's ruling that exempts much of southeast | ||||||
17 | Wisconsin from stricter ozone regulations; and
| ||||||
18 | WHEREAS, The filling of wetlands, use of | ||||||
19 | residentially-protected water, and exposure to particulate all | ||||||
20 | pose serious unanswered public health and safety questions for | ||||||
21 | residents in Lake County and northern Illinois that must be |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | reviewed; therefore, be it
| ||||||
2 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
3 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
4 | caution Wisconsin to not hastily approve permits for Foxconn | ||||||
5 | Technology Group to use seven million gallons of water per day | ||||||
6 | from Lake Michigan, as it will directly affect Illinoisans; and | ||||||
7 | be it further
| ||||||
8 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be sent | ||||||
9 | to Governor Scott Walker and members of the Wisconsin State | ||||||
10 | Assembly, so that they may see Illinois has a shared interest | ||||||
11 | in the affects these facilities will have on the environment | ||||||
12 | and the health of residents along the Illinois-Wisconsin | ||||||
13 | border.
|