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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
URGING PASSAGE OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE SUPERFUND ACT (SB 2981/HB 4773)
WHEREAS, climate change represents the biggest threat to humanity and is demonstrated by an increasing heat index, extreme weather patterns, reduction in biodiversity, wildfires, increasing air pollution, rising sea levels, carbonization of the ocean, floods, droughts, coastline erosion, decreased crop production, and other alarming environmental changes; and
WHEREAS, the World Meteorological Organization confirmed that 2025 was one of the three warmest years on record, and the past eleven years represent the eleven warmest on record, with ocean heating continuing; and
WHEREAS, climate change will make basic human necessities like food, housing, health care, transportation, and energy more expensive and difficult to obtain, disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities; and
WHEREAS, Cook County is experiencing direct and devastating consequences from increased heat and severe weather events, including but not limited to flooding and tornadoes; and
WHEREAS, the Trump administration moved to rescind the landmark “endangerment finding,” a 2009 scientific conclusion by the EPA that found six greenhouse gases endanger public health, and required the EPA to regulate emissions to protect public health; and
WHEREAS, in announcing the proposed rescission of the “endangerment finding,” Donald Trump called the move, “the single largest deregulatory action in American history,” and
WHEREAS, the New York Times recently noted, the “United States will essentially have no laws on the books that enforce how efficient America’s passenger cars and trucks should be,” despite transportation representing the largest single source of greenhouse gases in the country; and
WHEREAS, federal inaction and rollbacks, including withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and rescission of critical EPA findings and rules, have amplified the need for state-level leadership on climate change; and
WHEREAS, the more we delay in implementing solutions to reduce emissions and control the effects of climate change, the more it will cost in the long run; and
WHEREAS, fossil fuel companies have known for decades that burning fossil fuels causes climate change but have actively concealed this information, spread disinformation, obstructed climate action, and prioritized profit over public safety; and
WHEREAS, a 2024 joint investigation by Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, entitled “Denial, Disinformation, and Doublespeak: Big Oil’s Evolving Efforts to Avoid Accountability for Climate Change,” revealed fossil fuel companies ran multi-decade campaigns to mislead the public, and block regulatory and legislative action; and
WHEREAS, despite federal retreats, Cook County remains committed to mitigating climate change, ensuring sustainability, fostering innovation and economic development, and investing in career training in green industries; and
WHEREAS, Cook County is actively working to meet its Clean Energy Plan goals, including a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, 100% renewable electricity for County buildings by 2030, and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050; and
WHEREAS, environmental justice is a key component of Cook County’s Department of Environment and Sustainability mission, and is central to the County Policy Roadmap and Sustainable Communities plan, advancing equity by addressing historic disinvestment and disproportionate pollution burdens; and
WHEREAS, empirical data shows approximately one-third of Americans, or about 130 million people, routinely breathe unhealthy air, with racial and ethnic minorities disproportionately exposed to fine particulate pollution, contributing to shortened life expectancy and negative health outcomes; and
WHEREAS, historical redlining and discriminatory housing policies have contributed to environmental inequities, including higher exposure to air and water pollution, urban heat islands, and reduced green space in Black and Brown communities across Cook County and Chicago; and
WHEREAS, states across the country are increasingly advancing climate change superfund legislation, requiring fossil fuel companies to contribute financially to mitigation costs; and
WHEREAS, New York and Vermont enacted climate change superfund laws in 2024 and Rhode Island, Maine, Washington, D.C. are considering similar measures; and
WHEREAS, in 2025 alone, climate and weather-related disasters in the United States caused an estimated $115 billion in damages, contributing to over $3.1 trillion in cumulative damages since 1980; and
WHEREAS, rising climate disaster costs have led to higher home insurance premiums, increased utility bills, and additional public health and infrastructure costs for states and local governments; and
WHEREAS, polling data demonstrates broad public support, with seventy-one percent (71%) of voters favoring measures requiring oil and gas companies to pay their share of climate-related damages; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Climate Change Superfund Act (SB 2981 / HB 4773) will create a State managed fund financed by payments from entities deemed responsible for climate change, to support climate resilient infrastructure and mitigation efforts; and
WHEREAS, qualifying projects include, but are not limited to, building resilient infrastructure, creating climate-resilient housing, implementing green infrastructure to counter urban heat, relocation assistance for residents displaced by extreme weather or long-term environmental changes, upgrading water management systems, and improving agricultural facilities to withstand extreme weather; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will determine liability, set payment amounts, and direct spending, with at least 40% of funds allocated to projects benefiting disadvantaged communities; and
WHEREAS, this fund will represent fossil fuel companies fair, proactive, equitable payments to cover the growing costs of climate change; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Cook County Board of Commissioners expresses its support for the Climate Change Superfund Act (SB 2981 / HB 4773) sponsored by Senator Graciela Guzmán and Representative Robyn Gabel, and urges the Illinois General Assembly to pass this legislation during the 104th General Assembly session; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Cook County Board of Commissioners urges Governor JB Pritzker to sign the Climate Superfund Act into law upon passage by the General Assembly; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that suitable copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor of Illinois, the President of the Illinois Senate, the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, and the Cook County delegation to the Illinois General Assembly to affirm Cook County’s support for responsible climate accountability and environmental justice legislation.
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