| Below is a general overview of
how to find federal and State of Illinois government information,
as well as a list of federal and state agencies and important
online publication. For more detailed information about government
information, see Find
Government Information.
Federal Government Info
| State Government Info | Important
Environmental Agencies & Publications
Find Federal Government Information
A lot of the Federal Government's publications are available
online. Roughly 65% of what is disseminated is on the Internet.
However, this is for current publications, usually not older
than 1995.
The UIS library is a selective depository for federal government
publications, meaning we do not receive a copy of everything
disseminated. Virtually all of our federal government publications
are cataloged, and can be found when doing a search in PrairieCat. However, this only works with individual publications
on one topic, or those that are most similar to a book. For
the articles within periodicals, you would need to find citations from the databases
or indexes.
Recommendations:
- If you want to do a general search for recent information,
try a search engine for government information online.
- FirstGov
- Federal government's official search engine, from
the General Services Administration. You may search
federal and state government websites. If you click
on Advanced Search, you can limit to a particular agency's
domain, etc.
- Google
Unclesam - Use the Google search engine
to find government websites.
- If you are looking for historical information, then first
try the I-Share Catalog, either limiting to UIS or search all the I-Share libraries.
The most comprehensive database for federal government information
is GPO
Index, which goes back to 1976. The Illinois
State Library is a full depository, so they will have
a copy of anything you can find a record for. (They are
a part of the I-Share Catalog, however they have not fully cataloged
all of their historical government publications.)
Find State of Illinois Government
Information
The State of Illinois is also putting a lot of their information
on the Web, though the information is usually just the most
current.
The UIS library is a depository for all Illinois publications
that are disseminated, and they can be located in the I-Share Catalog. (The Illinois State Library is the one who disseminates
state publications, so if there is a shortage, the State Library
will definitely have a copy.)
Recommendations:
Important Federal &
State of Illinois Government Environmental Resources
Agencies & Congressional
Committees | Databases | Publications
Note: Many links are using the Government
Printing Office's PURLs, or Persistent Uniform Resource Locators,
rather than direct links to the federal agencies. This improves
the links accuracy, in case the publication was moved to a
different URL. However, it does take an extra few seconds
to retrieve the website.
Federal Agencies &
Congressional Committees
The federal agencies' websites are good starting points when
looking for general information on a relevant topic, or when
looking for specific information that you know the agency
handles. Virtually all of the websites have a site index or
a search engine, if you have difficulty navigating the site.
Federal Agencies
 |
Council
on Environmental Quality - Coordinates federal environmental efforts and works closely with agencies
and other White House offices in the development of environmental
policies and initiatives. Part of the Executive
Office of the President. |
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Energy Department - Environmental roles include: supporting
environmental quality by aggressively cleaning up the
environmental legacy of nuclear weapons and civilian nuclear
research and development programs; minimizing future waste
generation; safely managing nuclear materials; permanently
disposing of the nation's radioactive wastes; and increasing
the efficiency and productivity of energy use, while limiting
environmental impacts. |
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Environment
& Natural Resources Division - Responsible
for enforcing federal environmental laws on pollution-control,
natural resources and public lands, and wildlife protection.
Part of the Justice Department. |
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Environmental
Protection Agency - Charged to protect human health
and to safeguard the natural environment--air, water,
and land--upon which life depends. |
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Forest
Service - Manages public lands in national forests
and grasslands. The Forest Service is also the largest
forestry research organization in the world, and provides
technical and financial assistance to state and private
forestry agencies. Part of the Agriculture
Department. |
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Interior Department
- Principal conservation agency. Mission includes: protecting
the environment and preserving the nation's natural
and cultural resources; managing natural resources for
a healthyenvironment and a strong economy; and adding
to the environmental and physical scienceknowledge base.
Important Sub-Agencies
- Bureau of Land
Management - Administers 264 million acres
of America's public lands, located primarily in 12
western states. Sustains the health, diversity, and
productivity of the public lands for the use
and enjoyment of present and future generations.
- Fish & Wildlife
Service - Major responsibilities involve migratory
birds, endangered species, certain marine mammals,
and freshwater and anadromous fish. The U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service's mission is to conserve, protect
and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats.
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National
Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration - Conducts
research and gathers data about the global oceans, atmosphere,
space, and sun, and applies this knowledge to science
and service. Part of the Commerce
Department. |
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Natural
Resources Conservation Service - Assists owners
of America's private land with conserving their soil,
water, and other natural resources. Part of the Agriculture
Department. |
Congressional Committees
These Congressional Committees oversee the agencies that
deal with environmental issues. The Committees are the first
place legislation is voted on, and the Committees may hold
hearings for expert testimony. Recent hearings are usually
available on the Committee's websites.
Federal Databases
 |
Annual
Energy Review, Monthly
Energy Review & International
Energy Annual - Statistics from the Energy
Information Administration, on energy reserves, production,
consumption, distribution, prices, technology, and related
international, economic, and financial matters. |
|
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Climatological
Data Free access
from .edu domain computers - NOAA data
warehouse of weather information. |
|
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Envirofacts
Data Warehouse and Applications - Retrieve environmental
information from EPA databases on Air,
Chemicals,
Facility
Information, Grants/Funding,
Hazardous
Waste, Risk
Management Plans, Superfund,
Toxic
Releases, and Water
Permits, Drinking
Water, Drinking
Water Contaminant Occurrence, and Drinking
Water Microbial and Disinfection Byproduct Information
(Information Collection Rule [ICR]). You may retrieve
information from several databases at once, or from one
database at a time. |
|
Threatened
and Endangered Species System - Search or browse
the lists for threatened or endangered animals, proposed
animals and plants, or delisted animals and plants. From
the Interior Department's Fish
& Wildlife Service. |
|
Toxicology
& Environmental Health - Access to various
databases and resources such as TOXNET
and Haz Map,
from the National Library
of Medicine. |
Selected Federal Publications
 |
Alternative
Fuel News - Newsletter, published four times per
year, provides information about Clean Cities projects,
designations, and conferences, and is dedicated to publishing
the most unbiased and up-to-date information about developments
in the alternative fuels industry. |
|
Annual
Energy Outlook - Presents midterm forecasts of
energy supply, demand, and prices; discusses evolving
legislative and regulatory issues; and analysis of energy
market trends. |
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Clean
Coal Today - Quarterly newsletter on the Clean
Coal Technology Demonstration Program - a joint government-industry
initiative to test first-of-its-kind coal technology that
offers superior environmental performance. May browse
all the issues back to 1990. |
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EM State
Fact Sheets - Information about the Energy Department's
Office of Environmental
Management's activities in each state. Choose a state,
either from the image map or the search box at the bottom.
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Frontiers,
Argonne National Laboratory, Research Highlights
- Annual publication of
Argonne National Laboratory, covering basic science,
energy resources, and environmental management. |
|
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Inventory
of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks - 200+
page annual report by the
Environmental Protection Agency on estimates of US
greenhouse gas emissions, including methodology and data
used to calculate the estimates. Archive copies of the
last 4 years, plus other publications on emissions. |
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National
Air Quality & Emissions Trends Report - EPA's
"report card" on the status of air quality and
air pollutant emissions |
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National
Atlas of the United States - Online version of
the 1997 update to the 1970 National Atlas. Largely digital,
provides national-level geographic information on natural
and sociocultural landscapes. |
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National
Water Quality Inventory Report - Primary vehicle
for informing Congress and the public about general water
quality conditions in the United States. This document
characterizes our water quality, identifies widespread
water quality problems of national significance, and describes
various programs implemented to restore and protect our
waters. |
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Oak
Ridge National Laboratory Review - Quarterly magazine
highlighting research and development activities which
include: energy production and end-use technologies; biological
and environmental science and technology; advanced materials
synthesis, processing, and characterization; and the physical
sciences, including neutron-based science and technology.
|
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Science
and Technology Review: Lawrence Livermore Laboratory
- Quarterly magazine designed to clearly communicate Lawrence
Livermore's scientific and technological accomplishments
on advanced defense technologies, energy, environment,
biosciences, and basic sciences. May browse or keyword
search the issues back to 1995, or use their index.
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Agencies | Publications
Illinois Agencies
The state agencies' websites are good starting points when
looking for general information on a relevant topic, or when
looking for specific information that you know the agency
handles. Most of the websites have a site index or a search
engine, if you have difficulty navigating the site.
|
Department
of Agriculture - Promotes and regulates agriculture
in a manner which encourages farming and agribusiness
while protecting Illinois' consumers and our natural
resources.
Important Sub-Agencies
- Bureau
of Land & Water Resources - Responsible
for programs aimed at reducing soil loss and protecting
water quality, and organizes the state's annual soil
survey.
- Environmental
Programs Division - Responsible for controlling
plant pests and disease, including noxious weed control.
Registers pesticides, license applicators and investigate
misuse complaints and oversee a pesticide container
recycling program.
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Dept
of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, Bureau
of Energy & Recycling - Provides technical
advice, financial assistance and research support to
develop technologies in energy conservation, alternative
energy, recycling, and waste reduction.
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Department of
Natural Resources - Responsible for conserving,
preserving, and enhancing Illinois' natural treasures,
while meeting outdoor recreation needs. Manages game
and fish populations while protecting endangered plant
and animal species.
Important Sub-Agencies/Programs
- Critical
Trends Assessment Program - Ongoing process
to evaluate the State of the Illinois environment.
Provides scientific support for the Ecosystems Program
under Conservation 2000, a multi-year initiative to
preserve and restore Illinois ecosystems. Programs
include land
cover mapping and professional
scientists/volunteering monitoring to systematically
collect data and monitor ecosystems throughout the
state.
- Illinois
Natural History Survey - Investigate and document
the biological resources of Illinois and other areas,
and to acquire and provide natural history information
that can be used to promote the common understanding,
conservation, and management of these resources. Affiliated
with the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- Illinois State
Water Survey - Primary agency in Illinois
concerned with water and atmospheric resources. Research
activities are organized under five major Sections:
Atmospheric Environment, Analytical Chemistry &
Technology, National Atmospheric Deposition Program,
Watershed Science, and Groundwater. Affiliated with
the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign.
- Illinois
Waste Management & Research Center -
Services offered: sophisticated analytical laboratory
support, a library and clearinghouse on environmental
and pollution prevention issues, and research funding
to explore a wide range of issues impacting waste
management in Illinois. Affiliated with the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- Illinois
State Geological Survey - Programs encompass
geologic mapping, water and mineral resources, environmental
and engineering geology, geochemistry, and education.
Affiliated with the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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Department
of Nuclear Safety - Responsible for protecting
Illinois residents from the potentially harmful effects
of ionizing radiation. Administers over two dozen programs
to protect citizens and the environment. |
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Department
of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health
- Works to reduce the incidence of disease and injury
related to environmental factors fall within five major
areas of responsibility: rulemaking; plan reviews and
construction permits; inspections; vocational and facility
licensing; and engineering and toxicological reports.
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Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency - Fosters a cleaner, healthier
environment through responsibilities granted under the
State of Illinois Environmental Protection Act and other
state and federal laws/regulations.
Important Program
- Green
Illinois - Designed to increase awareness
and promote efforts to reduce waste, use alternative
fuels, improve energy efficiency, and generally use
products and procedures that are environmentally sustainable
and economically efficient.
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Illinois
Pollution Control Board - Responsible for adopting
Illinois' environmental regulations and deciding contested
environmental cases. |
Selected Illinois Publications
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Air
Quality Report - Annual publication from the Bureau
of the Air, part of the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency. Highlights information
obtained from the statewide air monitoring network, which
incorporates more than 300 monitors that track the measurements
of a variety of pollutants and air toxic compounds. |
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Endangered
& Threatened Species List - The Illinois
Endangered Species Protection Board, part of the Department
of Natural Resources, revises the list of protected
species every five years and completed its most recent
revisions in 1999. Next revision to be completed in 2004.
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Environmental
Conditions Report - Annual publication from the
Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency, highlighting environmental trends
and goals. |
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Environmental
Progress - Quarterly magazine from the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency. |
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Illinois
Natural Resources Information Network - Links
to information on various projects from the Department
of Natural Resources, including:Illinois
Environmental Quality, Illinois
Ecosystems, etc.
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Nature
Preserve Directory - Produced by the Illinois
Nature Preserves Commission, an online directory of
high quality natural areas and habitats of endangered
and threatened species in perpetuity, through voluntary
dedication or registration of such lands into the Illinois
Nature Preserves System. |
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Toxic
Chemical Report - Annual summary of information
contained in the Toxic Chemical Report Forms, the annual
reports to be filed by certain companies which release
any of over 600 listed toxic chemicals and compounds to
the environment. Compiled by the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency. |
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Water
Quality Report - Annual publication from the Bureau
of Water, part of Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency. Collects chemical,
physical, biological, habitat and toxicity data on rivers
and streams, inland lakes, Lake Michigan and groundwater
to satisfy reporting requirements for the Federal Clean
Water Act (CWA). The primary purpose is to provide for
an assessment of the overall water quality conditions
of Illinois waters. |
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