Illinois Attorney General Logo

Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Illinois Attorney General Logo

Preserving the Environment

Preserving the Environment

The Illinois Constitution guarantees the right of the people to a healthy environment. Attorney General Kwame Raoul is committed to protecting this right for all of the people of the State of Illinois.

The Attorney General's Environmental Enforcement Division and Environmental Crimes Bureau enforce the state's environmental laws by both civilly and criminally prosecuting the state's polluters and holding them responsible for their actions.


Environmental Enforcement Division

The Attorney General's Environmental Enforcement Division handles civil environmental litigation. More than 25 attorneys work across the state to protect the environment by enforcing Illinois laws and advocating for effective federal regulations.


Investigating and Prosecuting Environmental Crimes

The Environmental Crimes Bureau investigates, charges, and prosecutes environmental crimes throughout Illinois in conjunction with your local State's Attorney's Offices.


Fighting for Environmental Justice

Article XI of the Illinois Constitution provides that each person has a right to a healthy environment. For many years, though, some communities within our State—particularly communities of color—have borne higher rates of pollution and its devastating effects.

Attorney General Raoul recognizes that environmental justice requires confronting these inequalities through enforcement, regulatory, and legislative action. In 2021, Attorney General Raoul convened a virtual town hall including advocates from across the State who discussed their experiences with pollution within their communities. The Attorney General will continue to take enforcement action and advocate for new legislation to better protect those living in overburdened communities.

The Environmental Enforcement Division encourages anyone experiencing pollution within their community to contact the Office of the Attorney General, including by email to the Division's dedicated email address: ej@ilag.gov.


Agriculture

Agriculture plays a dominant role in supporting Illinois' economy. The Attorney General focuses attention on the state's agricultural issues, serving as an advocate and an educator for Illinois' agricultural producers.


Contact the Attorney General's Environmental Division

Successful prosecution of environmental cases requires the assistance and cooperation of members of the public. The Attorney General welcomes questions, comments and expressions of concern from Illinois citizens about environmental issues that affect them.

Members of the public may send emails concerning environmental issues to ej@ilag.gov, a dedicated account monitored by the Environmental Enforcement Division. Enforcement Division also respond to calls Monday through Friday, 9:00 A.M. through 5:00 P.M. The staff is there to speak with citizens about their environmental complaints and questions. The Office of the Attorney General will either resolve the matter itself or refer the report to the appropriate agency. Callers who choose to leave their name and telephone number, or e-mail address, will be notified of the status of the complaint or provided any additional information we have in response to the inquiry.

Environmental Bureau North
69 West Washington Street
Suite 1800
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 814-2550

Environmental Bureau South
500 South Second Street
Springfield, IL 62701
(217) 782-9031

Environmental Crimes Bureau
1745 Innovation Drive, Suites C & D
Carbondale, IL 62901
(618) 529-6417