Environment and Sustainability
Department Mission
The Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability works to improve the quality of the environment for all residents of Cook County.
Mandates and Key Activities
- Enforce Cook County Environmental Control Ordinance
- Implement Illinois EPA cooperative agreements on pollution control, inspection
- Administer U.S. EPA, DOE and other grant agreements
- Permit and inspect industrial and commercial fuel-burning equipment, asbestos abatement, demolition, solid waste facilities, open burning and facilities that store hazardous chemicals for environmental compliance
- Investigate citizen complaints and ordinance violations
- Reduce waste in energy, materials and water
- Prepare solid waste plan for suburban Cook County
- Monitor air quality for the U.S. EPA
Announcements
RainReady Homes
What is the RainReady Homes Program?
The RainReady Homes Program is part of Cook County's broader RainReady initiative. It funds home improvements to help prevent basement sewer backups for Riverdale residents. The improvements include features that capture or redirect stormwater, like overhead sewers and green infrastructure.
Program Highlights:
- Goals: The initiative aims to reduce basement sewage backups, flood risk, improve public health, promote environmental sustainability and improve overall quality of life in participating communities.
- Eligibility: Funding is available to a limited number of homeowners in Riverdale who experience basement sewer backups and meet specific property criteria.
- Cost: Project management, home assessment and all eligible improvements including overhead sewers, rain gardens and rain barrels are provided at no cost to participating homeowners.
- Implementation: The program includes a full range of services from home assessments and design consultations to construction and maintenance of the installed features through 2026.
How to Get Involved: Interested Riverdale homeowners can apply by filling out the program’s interest form.
View the RainReady interest form here.
Or contact Ana Mikhalochkina at anastasia@greenprintpartners.com or 312-544-9773 for more information.
This program is supported, in whole or in part, by Assistance Listing Number (ALN) — formerly known as the CFDA — 21.027 awarded to Cook County by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Cook County Center for Hard to Recycle Materials
This is a permanent recycling drop-off facility available to Cook County residents that helps divert millions of pounds of waste and other hard-to-recycle items from regional landfills and water systems. More information about materials accepted at the CHaRM Center can be found here.
Permits
You may apply for permits online – see the menu at right on this page. If you need help, email contact information can be found on each page.
Environmental Complaints
You may register environmental complaints for suburban and unincorporated Cook County by emailing environment@cookcountyil.gov or calling 312-603-8200, option 5.
Sustainability in Cook County
Have you seen Cook County’s sustainability webpage?
At Cook County we want to lead by example. At the site you’ll find information about County projects to lower our environmental footprint and our costs.
Press and Media Inquiries:
Natalia Derevyanny
natalia.derevyanny@cookcountyil.gov
Maria Phelan
maria.phelan@cookcountyil.gov