Latest ENVIRONMENT News From The Illinois Newsroom Team
A Piatt County zoning board votes against a wind farm, but the county board will have the final say.
Both supporters and opponents were watching Thursday night, as the Piatt County Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 against recommending a zoning permit for the Goose Creek wind turbine project proposed by Apex Clean Energy. The proposal now goes to the Piatt County Board, which does not have to follow the zoning board’s ruling.

After rushing to safety, St. Louisans wonder how they will recover from historic flooding
HAZELWOOD, Mo. — Camila Cage woke to the sound of her phone rumbling on her nightstand early Tuesday, its glow piercing the darkness as a

Carbon is agriculture’s latest money-maker. But is it enough to combat climate change?
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — If you take an aerial view of Jason Lay’s farm in mid-April, it would look like a green dot amid a sea

PFAS can still be incinerated in Illinois
SAUGET — llinois Governor J.B. Pritzker recently signed a new law limiting the ways so-called “forever” chemicals can be disposed of in the state. But

Justices urge lawmakers to allow more public access to rivers
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that the public has no right to boat, fish or swim in small rivers that flow across

Northern Illinois chefs get creative with ‘Copi cakes’
ROCKFORD — Copi is the new name for an old problem in Illinois waterways. Now chefs around the state are taking a stab at making

From ‘Asian carp’ to ‘copi,’ an ugly fish gets an appetizing marketing makeover
The invasive fish species known as Asian carp now goes by “copi,” in an effort to get more of them out of Midwestern waterways and

‘Oppressive heat and humidity’ continues through Wednesday PM
URBANA – The National Weather Service says heat indices in Central Illinois will hover around 105-110 degrees Monday through Wednesday of this week. The NWS

Water users urged to avoid algal blooms
URBANA – As the temperatures warm and people head out to local waterways, you are warned to avoid algal blooms. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

How to recycle a 150-foot wind turbine blade? Haul it to Louisiana, MO
LOUISIANA, Mo. — In the small community of Louisiana, Missouri, it’s not uncommon to see what looks like massive white wings traveling down the road,

Kernza — the grain you’ve never heard of that could revolutionize farming
https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s60/audio/2022/05/kernzawebaudio.mp3 The perennial grain can produce an annual crop even as it stays in the ground for up to four years. Its deep root system

Farmers in the Plains are in ‘dire straits’ due to drought, wildfire conditions
Most of Illinois has had plenty of rain, but even with a few recent rains, much of the Great Plains are in a drought. Wildfires