Lake County Working for You

Your Environment

As concerns about the impact of carbon emissions on our planet loom, the Lake County Board is committed to reducing the county’s carbon footprint, and in September 2020 approved a resolution that commits Lake County to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2040. The County is also actively leading several solar energy initiatives designed to increase the availability and use of solar power in the region.

September 2020: Board Approves Resolution for Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Lake County Board passed a resolution committing the county to the goal of attaining net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2040. Read more

September 2020: SWALCO Joins U.S. Plastics Pact

The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County announced that it joined the U.S. Plastics Pact, which has a goal of ensuring that by 2025, all plastic packaging will be 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and to ultimately realize a circular economy in which plastic never becomes waste. Read more

July 2019: Communities Partner to Encourage Solar Power Installations in Lake County

As the cost of solar power decreases, community interest in solar energy is surging. To accommodate this, the Lake County Planning, Building and Development Department, in partnership with 18 local municipalities and with technical support from solar industry experts, convened a regional Solar Energy Task Force developed a model ordinance for communities to use in adopting state-of-the-art solar zoning codes. Read more

April 2019: New Data Shows Lake County is Receiving Increased Rainfall

The Illinois State Water Survey released a report showing that Lake County is receiving between 20% and 45% higher rainfall amounts than in the past. This new data has a significant impact on  the residents of Lake County. Read the full press release; Learn more about how rainfall is impacting Lake County

January 2019: Energy and Environment Committee Meets for First Time

Because the Lake County Board is committed to promoting a sustainable environment, it established a new Energy and Environment Committee to focus on sustainability and the impact of climate change, the County’s carbon footprint, as well as energy and environmental policy and energy and environment legislation.

2018 to 2020: Ethylene Oxide Monitoring

Since becoming aware of concerns surrounding ethylene oxide emissions from Medline Industries in Waukegan and Vantage Specialty Chemicals in Gurnee, the Health Department initiated communication with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to better understand the situation and advocate for appropriate air monitoring and timely and transparent communication. The Health Department has maintained regular communication with these agencies, which have sole jurisdiction for regulating emissions. Learn more