- [Announcer] This program is made possible in part by the Backlund Charitable Trust .

Established to educate and create awareness of environmental issues.

- Welcome to our winter edition of EcoWatch on WTVP.

I'm Mark Welp.

This program is dedicated to bringing you the latest environmental stories impacting our area and the state of Illinois.

We're going to introduce you to people finding unique ways to make the land of Lincoln a better place for mankind and animals by protecting plants, water, soil, and crops.

Let's get started.

(bright music) (bright music continues) On our winter show discover what's being done to protect our environment and people from harmful forever chemicals.

We analyze a new study that says herbicides are damaging more than the intended targets in Illinois.

Plus, we look at the pros and cons of renewable energy and introduce you to another endangered animal in Illinois, and one that may be coming back.

But first, hundreds of different PFAs or forever chemicals are all around us and inside us.

These manmade chemicals can be found in carpeting, non-stick foodware, food packaging, medical equipment, and more.

PFAs are used for waterproofing, because of their resistance to oil and staining.

But what makes the chemicals effective also makes them potentially dangerous.

I talked with a Bradley University biologist to learn more about these chemicals and an environmental group to see what's being done in Illinois to keep PFAs out of the environment.

- So, PFAs are basically, carbon and fluoride bond-based chemicals.

And they're called forever chemicals, because the carbon fluoride bond that is, is very strong.

So, heat, grease, oil, et cetera, does not break them.

It's not just one chemical.

These are about 15,000 plus set of chemicals.

And the common there, the PFA, it actually stands for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

So, you know, that's what PFA is, and it has about 15,000 chemicals in it, different sets.

And every day we are discovering and manufacturing more of them, but all based around the carbon fluoride bond that makes it very stable.

- Yeah, we listed some of the items that they're used and even food packaging and non-stick foodware that we probably all cook with at home.

- All the non-sticks you think of have PFAs in them.

Now, the most common one are two, PFOA and PFOS.

They have been phased out globally, but still, while they have been banned specially in the United States, there's several other countries that still continue to use them.

These are forever chemicals.

So, they are still found in water bodies.

We can still get them through fish, et cetera, but wherever they're found, think of your candy wrapper, that has PFA in it.

- There was just a study done recently in Northern Illinois.

Scientists were looking at different bodies of water, and they found that almost every fish they tested in every body of water had PFAs.

So, tell me the effects that PFAs can have on not only just the environment in general, but especially, our animals and people.

- So, depending on which PFA people and animals get exposed to, the effects can be different.

For example, people can get testicular cancer.

PFAs get they, what we call is the bioaccumulate.

So, think of it this way.

Let's say a fish that feeds mainly on vegetation consumed one gram of PFA.

So, another fish that feeds on the first fish that we were talking about eats it and eats 10 of them.

Now, the second fish has got 10 grams of PFA and that's not going anywhere.

And similarly, it goes up in food chain.

So, on top of the food chain where we are like eating most of the fish, we are getting a lot of enormous quantity of PFAs from them.

And so, that accumulates in us, in our blood serum, in our kidneys, in our liver.

It is causing behavioral defects.

It is known for causing cancer in kidneys and in prostate.

It has led to increased cholesterol and obesity, birth defects.

It is causing effects in pregnancy.

It has lowered birth rate, and it has actually increased the rate of puberty in humans.

- [Mark] Wow.

- They found out that for birds in general, the hatching rate has declined.

In fact, in Wisconsin, a study was done where they found tree swallows are not giving like births that are in have been exposed to PFAs.

American alligator, I used to study reptiles early in my career, and I was a strong believer of the fact that if a reptile is injured, you give it heat, you give it light, magic happens and they heal themselves, literally.

American alligators exposed to PFAs are not healing.

- [Mark] Wow.

- And that's a scary thought.

We have done some studies on animals and we are finding animals like hooded seal, for example, having thyroid issues.

Who would've thought of that?

And they are having, because of PFAs, but I understanding, I believe is still very nascent.

It is only in earlier this year that we started having a maximum upper limit on amount of PFAs that can be in water.

Illinois has done a really good thing.

It has banned PFAs in firefighting, certain PFAs in firefighting foam, And is the first state, I believe, to pass a law earlier this year on not burning or incinerating PFA-based material.

And that means those PFAs are not now go being aerosol, and we are not absorbing them by breathing in them.

And so, those steps are helping us quite a bit.

- And joining us now is Ariel Hampton, the State Government Affairs Director for the Illinois Environmental Council.

Thanks for joining us.

Appreciate it.

- Thank you for having me, Mark, - What can you tell us about your organization and what you're doing in terms of trying to get the word out there about the dangers of PFAs?

- Sure thing.

So, here in Illinois, not unlike many states in the US we're trying to approach it from a variety of ways.

So, one of those ways is legislation.

Legislation that is dedicated to finding out what exactly how many PFAs are in our water, what PFAs are in our wastewater water, what products do we really need to ban PFAs from being in, in the first place.

So, that's where we are focusing a lot of our attention towards.

- How does Illinois compare to other states in terms of what has been done and what might be coming in terms of doing research into PFAs and finding out exactly what's in them and where it's at?

- We're very similar to other states.

We followed really in their footsteps in some regards.

So, say for instance, one of the bills that we introduced last year was modeled heavily on the Minnesota bill that passed, particularly about PFAs and the products that we wish to ban on that front.

We also have health advisories as well as a ban on the manufacturer that's going to be in effective soon for PFAs and firefighting foam.

So, we're very much in line with other states on that front.

And we continue to look at various pieces of legislation as they come about.

- You mentioned different states have done different things when it comes to PFAs, you mentioned Minnesota.

I'm wondering from a federal perspective, what is the federal government doing, if anything, to address this issue?

- Actually, just this year, the US EPA has established a drinking water standards for PFAs.

So, that's really lovely.

We really appreciate that and we've been looking forward to it for quite some time.

But essentially, that creates a legally enforceable standard of levels for certain types of PFAs.

And that means that people who are relying on public drinking water, they'll eventually know what amounts of PFAs is available in their water.

And eventually, those same public water bodies will need to figure out how to take it out of their water.

- So, will it be, you know, in the future, will it be something that our individual community water systems have to address?

And you know, they're not the ones putting it in the water, but the government's gonna want them to get it out of the water.

So, is that going to be an individual thing with the different water companies?

- It'll be an individual thing with the different water companies and the US Government is providing funding and they have been for a little bit of time as well on that front.

But of course, it's probably going to cost us more.

- And just to wrap it up, your organization, the Illinois Environmental Council, do you find that solving this problem or helping the problem is something that, you know, you really need to focus on our state politicians, or are you focusing on other entities?

- Well, we're mostly focusing on our state politicians.

The General Assembly has a lot of impact in the state of Illinois.

So, we do direct a lot of our efforts that way.

But we also keep in touch with like community water ways, MWRD, folks like that, because they have concerns too.

And they're oftentimes on the front lines and we need to hear what issues that they're having, how we can best help them.

- Now, to another concerning environmental issue.

Herbicide drift is the movement of toxic chemicals through the air to a non-target site, which can damage plants and trees and affect human health.

The Prairie Rivers Network recently released a report titled "Hidden in Plain Sight".

For six years, the conservation organization monitored symptoms of herbicide drift and damage to non-target trees and broadleaf plants across the states.

Here's some of the highlights of what they found.

All but one site that was monitored had symptoms of herbicide damage.

Every site monitored since 2019 had symptoms of herbicide damage.

More than 90% of tissue samples tested had detectable herbicide levels.

Drift injuries were reported at nearly every site with multiple visits.

And maybe the most amazing result, all six sites located more than a mile from any potential source had detectable pesticide residues.

Now, let's hear from the Prairie Rivers Network.

- We are seeing a tremendous decline in biodiversity, because of the use of pesticides.

And part of our work at Prairie Rivers Network is addressing this huge problem it has statewide of herbicide drift.

We call it herbicide trespass.

And it's really hurting our native ecosystems and people's backyards and gardens and certified habitats.

Well, it doesn't just come from agricultural fields, first of all, but it can come from turf care, lawn management, things like that where you are using chemicals on the turf.

But when these herbicides are applied, they can drift at the time of application, which we call particle drift.

It's when those particles of the herbicide drift offsite during application, usually carried by the wind.

Then we have what we have call vapor drift, which is actually, a whole nother problem and a much larger one.

And in my opinion, and that is where you can apply that herbicide according to the label.

You have done nothing wrong, but it volatilizes or essentially evaporates from the plant and the soil surfaces.

Sometimes up to a week after they've been applied.

When you get warmer weather and higher temperatures, those chemicals can go into the atmosphere, move off site, sometimes miles, and land causing widespread injury.

- To help the issue, the Prairie Rivers Network wants the state to strengthen current laws and make additional regulations.

The network is working with other non-governmental organizations to form policies and create education materials and strategies to stop herbicide drift.

Well, the push to replace coal, oil, and gas with renewable energy sources like wind and solar is all around us.

I recently, talked with Jackson Morris, he's the director of State Power Sector Policy Climate and Energy for the NRDC, or Natural Resources Defense Council.

He says Illinois is towards the top of the list of states when it comes to progress on climate change policies and enacting laws to protect the environment, but there is significant pushback from residents who don't want windmills and solar farms near their homes.

Here in the Peoria lately we've had some stories about companies that wanna put up wind farms, some companies that wanna put up solar farms, things like that.

And it's not so much that the people are totally against those things, but they just don't want it next to where they're living or in, you know, not in my backyard, so to speak.

Is that kind of a thing that you see around the country, people supporting a project, but not necessarily wanting to live by it?

- Definitely.

I mean, it's a common theme that we confront.

One thing I would point out.

Just a couple states over in Ohio, we've seen a pretty nefarious effort, what we kind of call AstroTurf campaigns, where you kind of have, basically the natural gas industry and some folks that have direct ties to the natural gas industry and don't want to see any expansion of renewable energy.

They want to keep us relying on natural gas and fossil fuels.

They have some pretty insidious techniques where they'll spread a lot of disinformation locally, really drum up opposition and try to create that pushback to these projects getting done.

And in Ohio, one of the efforts we've undertaken is to collaborate with unions, specifically with the IBEW in Ohio, to engage with folks locally to educate, inform, and provide a counter to some of those opposition voices.

Some of which can be legitimate, but many more often than not, we're seeing a pretty elaborate kinda network of fossil fuel opposition to kind of, you know, plant those seeds of opposition at the local level.

So, it's a very intensive process.

It requires a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of staff to push back in those fights.

But in terms of kind of, you know, nimbyism is gonna be something that you run into no matter where you are.

And it really is just about that outreach, the open dialogue, and meeting people where they are.

And at the end of the day, there's gonna be people that aren't happy with the final results.

But it's also important just to recognize that the alternative is that we are stuck in the status quo, which is reliant on dirty energy, which, you know, is unsustainable and that we, you know, it's not a future that we can really embrace.

So, it's just a matter of kind of the on the ground person to person transparent dialogue to talk through and try and address folks' concerns, 'cause a lot of the concerns can be addressed once people have that conversation in a meaningful way.

- While we're talking about wind farms, let's expand on that a little bit.

We've got a lot of wind farms here in central Illinois, companies wanting to build more.

There is some opposition, some people worried about anything from, you know, birds being killed or noise, things like that.

Like you said, you have to go on the local level to try and relieve some of this apprehension that people may have about it.

What do you say to those people who say, "Hey, you know, it's an eyesore, it's noisy, could kill birds."

- I mean, I think one of the most important things is that it's important to listen to folks' concerns, right?

I think there's limits on what sort of like a top down, like forcing things through approach can get you and you're never gonna change everybody's minds, but I think it's really about having that open conversation and, you know, really telling the story of the benefits that these projects provide and also, the transition that's happening can be done in a way that benefits folks and really can really revitalize some of these local communities.

And, you know, you're never gonna convince everybody, right?

Some folks are just going to not want to see any change in their community, and that's their prerogative to have that opinion.

But at the end of the day, everyone is, or almost everyone, is relying on the grid for electricity.

And our entire economy is moving increasingly towards an electrified system.

So, over time, our transportation infrastructure, our cars, our trucks, our buses, they're gonna run on electricity.

Our buildings are increasingly gonna run on electricity for heating and cooling as opposed to burning natural gas, propane, or oil.

And so, if you're gonna be moving the economy writ large to an electrified economy to meet our climate targets, we have to decarbonize the electric supply.

And so, that's why it's so vital that we scale up the renewables in zero emissions resources, because that's gonna be the linchpin on which everything else in the economy relies.

And so, how clean or dirty that electric system is, is gonna dictate how the overall economy either progresses or doesn't in terms of climate progress.

- In our May EcoWatch program, I talked with Illinois State Senator Dave Koehler about his proposed bill that would require certain businesses to develop a battery recycling program.

Well, that bill was signed into law in August.

Businesses that sell or distribute batteries will be required to develop a recycling program under the new law.

Sellers and distributors would need to have a small to medium-sized battery recycling program in place by 2026.

Medium-sized batteries include batteries made for electric bikes and scooters.

By 2029, businesses must include appropriate labeling for all batteries to ensure proper collection and recycling.

Batteries contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel, which can contaminate the environment when disposed of improperly.

- So, this bill really requires the manufacturer of the batteries to be able to put together a program and to pay for it that would really promote recycling.

And so, there's some timelines and I think the first one is July of '26, where it's gonna be illegal for anybody to knowingly throw a battery in the garbage.

You know, we'll try to set it up so that retailers can have recycling places.

There'll be so many recycling places throughout the state, which will be, you know, will help to coordinate that through the counties.

But, you know, everybody should have a place where they can easily dispose of their household batteries.

That's the goal of this.

- Freedom to plant what you want.

A new Illinois law prevents homeowners associations from restricting a resident's ability to plant native plants in their yards.

Some HOAs prohibited native plants for various reasons, but now the bipartisan bill bans the ban as long as the plants are native and don't infringe on neighboring properties.

Now, there's no height limit for plants, but there are a few rules.

The area must be predominantly free of weeds, invasive species and trash and vegetation cannot extend over or onto neighboring properties, public or common sidewalks.

About 30% of homes in Illinois belong to a homeowner's association.

This measure would allow native landscapes to be planted in an additional 1.5 million homes across the state.

A new law says Illinois hotels will no longer be allowed to offer customers single-use plastic soap and shampoo bottles.

Large hotels with 50 or more rooms would have until July 1st, 2025 to comply with the law, while smaller hotels would be given an additional year.

The definition of a small single-use bottle is one under six ounces.

The industry has been voluntarily transitioning to refillable containers and the legislation had the backing of the State's Hotel Association.

A hotel in violation of the law would receive a written warning for a first offense and a fine of up to $1,500 for a second and subsequent offenses.

In 2019, California became the first state to ban single-use hotel toiletries.

Washington and New York have similar laws.

On each EcoWatch episode we're profiling endangered or threatened animals in Illinois.

Last episode we talked about the Indiana bat.

This time we're learning about the Greater Prairie Chicken.

Here's Dr. Mark Davis with the Illinois Natural History Survey.

- Let's talk about the Greater Prairie Chicken.

I've had the privilege of seeing these up close and they're booming rituals.

- Amazing.

- Yeah, it's just awesome.

Tell us why they are on the list.

- Yeah.

And these birds are near and dear to my heart.

When I was in grad school here at the University of Illinois before I transitioned to my current career, I had the opportunity to work with the Department of Natural Resources and go out and trap Greater Prairie Chickens in Kansas.

Threw 'em on a plane, flew 'em back to be released at our two populations here in Illinois.

And so, I'm very much tied to these birds.

If you haven't seen them, to the viewers, please do so.

They are remarkable animals.

When they're on their legs booming in the spring, it is a display that you can't even fathom.

They're incredible creatures.

Now, why are they on the list?

The Greater Prairie Chicken is a big bird that requires a big landscape that we just don't have anymore.

You know, these birds are tall grass prairie specialists that used to thrive across almost the entirety of the state, at least the upper two thirds in very large numbers.

But the conversion to industrial agriculture has restricted their habitat to just a couple small parcels of land.

And they're limited in that how much or how many birds those parcels of land can maintain.

And it's fairly low.

And so, we've got these fairly low numbers of populations, and when that happens, they become really prone to kind of catastrophic losses through stochastic events.

I don't know about where everybody else is at in the state, but you know, last night we had some pretty wild weather here in Champaign.

And, you know, years back, the same sort of situation occurred when the Prairie Chickens were on their nests with eggs and chicks.

A massive hailstorm passed through Central Illinois and it absolutely decimated that year of nestlings.

And when you have a large contiguous thriving population, they have the capacity to absorb those sorts of localized, catastrophic events.

But our scenario right now, because of the loss of tall grass prairies, we only have a few isolated habitats.

And so, they no longer have that capacity to absorb those sorts of events.

And so, you know, the Prairie Chicken in Illinois has been struggling and it has required reintroductions of birds from other parts of the range where they're a little bit more stable.

- We have some good news to report from Dr. Davis and his colleague Sarah Douglas, who is a mollusk expert.

For the first time in nearly 120 years, researchers confirmed the presence of live individuals of the state endangered salamander mussel in Illinois marking a major biodiversity milestone for the state.

In June, Davis and his team collected water samples along the Sangamon River in Champaign County to test for environmental DNA.

The genetic analysis targeted both the salamander mussel and the mug puppy, which is the larval host for the mussel Well, one of the eight sites returned with positive eDNA detections for both species.

Mud puppies are fully aquatic salamanders, which play a crucial role in the salamander mussel's lifecycle.

In Illinois, mud puppies are state threatened and salamander mussels are candidates for federal endangered status under the US Endangered Species Act.

the rediscovery may accelerate efforts to protect both the salamander mussel and the mud puppy.

Davis and Douglas hope the mussel species could soon receive federal protection.

Thanks for joining us for EcoWatch.

If you'd like to watch again or share with a friend, just look for us at wtvp.org.

I'm Mark Welp.

See you again soon.

(bright music) (bright music continues) - [Announcer] This program is made possible in part by the Backlund Charitable Trust.

Established to educate and create awareness of environmental issues.