Chicago Tribune

As sweeping changes to the federal Clean Water Act in recent years have weakened protections for wetlands, Illinois has become the first state in the nation to officially recognize a conservation tactic known as rewilding. The Illinois Rewilding Law, which took effect last month, empowers the Illinois Department of Natural …

On a brisk Wednesday morning, South Side residents gathered outside New Sullivan Elementary School to demand their voices be heard about a major development rising just across the street: Quantum Shore Chicago. “No quantum facility, invest in community,” demonstrators chanted. New Sullivan Elementary will serve as a polling site for …

On a brisk January day with wind chills plunging to minus 25 degrees, Paul “Blade” Bloedorn stood out on nearly 2 feet of ice on Lake Michigan’s Little Bay de Noc. Last weekend, more than 400 shacks speckled the frozen bay, Bloedorn recalled, as ice anglers flocked to the Upper …

Chicago residents are weathering a dangerous cold snap this week — but so are the trees. After a post on X warning of “exploding trees” went viral on social media ahead of this week’s polar vortex, many people are asking: What’s happening to our trees during this severe Arctic blast?

Polar vortexes are a year-round phenomenon. But Chicago-area residents only notice them when they collapse, experts say. That’s what’s happening starting Thursday when dangerously frigid air from Siberia and the North Pole is forecast to plunge the Great Lakes region into subzero territory for multiple days.

Nearly a year after a toxic asphalt spill in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, state and local officials and environmental advocates say the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ended the cleanup effort before it was completed. A week before Thanksgiving, the agency posted a notice on its website that federal …

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is facing strong public opposition to its proposed plans to extend closure deadlines until October 2031 for 11 coal plants across the country — three of which are in Illinois and one in northwest Indiana. But many environmental experts, including Earthjustice senior attorney Mychal Ozaeta, …

ALTON, Illinois — Where the Wood and Mississippi rivers meet in southern Illinois, over a million cubic yards of toxic coal ash sit on the edge of Illinois’ floodplain, threatening the waterways that surround it. The retired Wood River Power Station is home to one of 72 coal ash impoundments, …

In the past 15 years, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has faced major budget cuts and a 21% decline in staffing, according to a recent report from the Environmental Integrity Project. Illinois is among the 14 U.S. states with the most significant cuts to its state environmental agency, the report …

Chicago is bracing for a technology boom expected to come with the construction of Quantum Shore Chicago, a 440-acre development that will feature the nation’s first utility-scale quantum computer. But residents of the South Chicago neighborhood want to make sure they’re not left behind in the process.

Illinois reached a settlement Monday of at least $120 million with Monsanto Co., the largest producer of now-banned PCBs, to address longstanding contamination across the state. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul sued Monsanto in 2022 over its denial of the health and environmental harms of the hazardous synthetic chemical, known …

Over the weekend, hundreds of curious Chicagoans ventured to Lake Michigan beachfronts to witness a birding marvel: the early arrival of snowy owls. Two snowy owls have been spotted at Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary and a third briefly at Rainbow Beach, according to the Chicago Ornithological Society. These are earlier …

After a decadeslong environmental justice fight, city officials and community activists gathered Wednesday on the Southeast Side to announce plans for a 43-acre lakefront park at the site of a toxic landfill that’s been operating along Lake Michigan for 40 years.

The Rev. Gary Graf, a Chicago Heights Catholic priest, began a 50-day pilgrimage Monday from Pope Leo’s boyhood home in Dolton to New York to bring attention to the cause of immigrant children. Graf’s planned destinations are Ellis Island, formerly the country’s primary immigration processing center, and the Statue of …

A Flossmoor house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright will open to the public Saturday, Oct. 11, to raise money for the historical society. Wright designed many buildings in Chicago and the surrounding areas, but the Frederick Nichols House’s location makes it noteworthy. “It’s the only one in the southern suburbs,” …

Our picks for events in and around Chicago this weekend. Love escape games? Now imagine one hosted after hours at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. Mind blown? You’ve only got a few more chances to score tickets to “The Wandering Alchemist,” an escape game that leads you through …

Gurnee may increase its home rule sales tax to recoup revenue lost when Illinois officially ends its grocery tax at the start of 2026. When food is taxed at a grocery store, that excess revenue goes back to local municipalities, but that will no longer be the case starting on …

As Joliet races to meet state requirements to be eligible to tap into Lake Michigan water before the region​’s groundwater​ is depleted, a handful of neighboring towns are holding off on making plans to identify alternative sources.

The Gurnee Village Board on Monday adopted guidelines and decorum standards for anyone speaking at public meetings. The board approved an ordinance that codified those procedures for public comment in a 5-1 vote, with Trustee Jeanne Balmes the only one voting against the measure. For the most part, the ordinance …

Gurnee Mayor Tom Hood appeared headed for a second term in office after his opponent, Trustee Quin O’Brien, conceded the election Tuesday night. Hood was leading 69.99% to 30.01%, or 2,533 to 1,086 votes, according to unofficial results posted Wednesday morning by the Lake County Clerk’s Office. Hood ran for …

Client: Project Management Advisors, Inc. New tariffs on steel and aluminum could force Chicago apartment developers, already affected by elevated interest rates and soaring labor costs, to further delay breaking ground on new projects. The White House began implementing tariffs of 25% on global steel and aluminum imports March 12, …

While many political races can be contentious, the two candidates running to be the mayor of Gurnee are both determined to not run a negative campaign against one another leading up to the April 1 election. Gurnee Mayor Tom Hood is running for his second term in office against Village …

After the federal government stepped up enforcement of immigration regulations in recent weeks, administrators at Warren Township High School District 121 turned their attention to the district’s related policies at a meeting Tuesday and answered questions raised by the residents. “We are experiencing a high level of questions in the …

The Doomsday Clock, which warns humanity about how close it is to destroying the world, ticked one second closer to midnight at 89 seconds, the closest it’s been since its inception.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s method of detecting methane leaks at landfills is flawed, and emissions of this powerful heat-trapping gas are likely much higher than what is being reported, according to a new study analyzing landfills in Illinois and seven other states.Released Thursday by the environmental nonprofit Industrious Labs, …

As Landon Diaz has sharpened his skills during his four varsity seasons, Waukegan has improved year over year but still lost more often than won. Throughout it all, Diaz’s love for the sport and his team didn’t waver. “I’m really grateful to play for Waukegan,” he said. “I’m really fortunate …