IEPA Glossary: Key Terms & Definitions for Developers and Consultants

IEPA Key Terms & Definitions

Administrative Order: A legal document issued by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) that requires a regulated entity to take specific actions to address a violation of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act or related regulations.

Air Pollutant: Any solid, liquid, or gaseous substance emitted into the atmosphere that may cause or contribute to air pollution, as defined in Section 3.115 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Air Pollution: The presence of one or more air pollutants in the atmosphere in sufficient quantities and of such characteristics and duration as to be injurious to human, plant, or animal life, to health, or to property, or to unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property, as defined in Section 3.115 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Best Management Practices (BMPs): Schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices designed to prevent or reduce pollution, as defined in Section 3.075 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Coal Ash: The residue from the combustion of coal, including fly ash, bottom ash, boiler slag, and flue gas desulfurization materials, which can pose environmental risks if not properly managed.

Effluent: Any wastewater, treated or untreated, that flows out of a treatment plant, sewer, or industrial outfall, as defined in Section 3.165 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Effluent Limitation: Any restriction on quantities, discharge rates, and concentrations of pollutants discharged from point sources into waters of the State, as defined in Section 3.170 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Environmental Justice Community: A community with a low-income and/or minority population that is disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards and pollution.

Hazardous Waste: Any waste, or combination of wastes, which because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics may cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious, irreversible, or incapacitating reversible illness; or pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment, as defined in Section 3.220 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA): The state agency responsible for administering and enforcing the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and related regulations.

Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB): The state agency responsible for adopting environmental regulations and standards, and for adjudicating environmental enforcement cases brought by the IEPA.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit: A permit issued under the federal Clean Water Act that authorizes the discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States, subject to certain conditions and limitations.

Noise Pollution: The emission of sound that unreasonably interferes with the enjoyment of life or with any lawful business or activity, as defined in Section 3.380 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Notice of Violation: A formal notification issued by the IEPA to a regulated entity, alleging a violation of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act or related regulations.

Permit: An authorization, license, or equivalent control document issued by the IEPA to implement the requirements of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and related regulations, as defined in Section 3.415 of the Act.

Pollutant: Any solid, liquid, or gaseous substance discharged into the environment that may cause or contribute to pollution, as defined in Section 3.425 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Pollution: The presence of any matter or energy in the environment in such quantities and of such nature and duration as may cause or tend to cause harm to human health or the environment, as defined in Section 3.430 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Remediation: The cleanup or removal of pollution or contaminants from the environment, such as through the Illinois Site Remediation Program administered by the IEPA.

Solid Waste: Any garbage, sludge, or other waste materials, including solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations, and from community activities, as defined in Section 3.475 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Title V Permit: An operating permit required under Title V of the federal Clean Air Act for major sources of air pollution, which is administered by the IEPA in Illinois.

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL): The maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards, as established by the IEPA under Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act.

Violation: A failure to comply with any provision of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, any rule or regulation adopted under the Act, any permit or term or condition of a permit, or any Board order, as defined in Section 3.545 of the Act.

Waste: Any solid, liquid, or gaseous material resulting from any process of industry, manufacturing, trade, or business, or from the development, processing, or recovery of any natural resource, as defined in Section 3.535 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Wastewater: Any liquid waste containing animal or vegetable matter in suspension or solution, and may include liquids containing chemicals in solution, as defined in Section 3.550 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.

Water Pollution: The discharge of any pollutant into the waters of the State or the placement of any wastes in a location where they are likely to cause water pollution, as defined in Section 3.545 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.