From the desk of Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC) Director of Environmental Initiatives Edith Makra: The Illinois EPA has released its plan to spend its share of a multi-billion dollar Volkswagen Settlement. Illinois has been allocated more than $108 million dollars after it was discovered Volkswagen installed emissions cheating software in certain diesel vehicles. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment Committee is hosting this important meeting to review this plan and provide input.
April 3, 2018, 9:30 AM to noon Moraine Valley Community College, Building M, 9000 College Parkway, Palos Hills, IL 60465
Illinois EPA will present this Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (BMP) and describe expected benefits for Illinois communities and public agencies. The Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition will also contribute to the discussion. Please invite all interested staff and stakeholders to attend. The Plan (BMP) is open for public comment until April 13, 2018. Representatives of public agencies are encouraged to learn about the plan; consider how it might be useful in achieving community sustainability goals; and provide feedback at this meeting and through an online Survey. The draft BMP and link to the Survey are available on the Illinois EPA’s Volkswagen Settlement webpage along with helpful background information and graphics.
The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus has studied sustainability priorities of member municipalities and found a common interest in greener public fleets. The consensus sustainability pledge, the Greenest Region Compact (GRC) thus includes the goal to, “operate a safe, clean and efficient fleet”. The GRC has now been formally adopted by 70 communities in the region. Funding resulting from the Illinois Beneficiary Mitigation Plan could help address this green fleet goal. You may register through our event page.