State Reports Items listed under "State Documents" have been received by the Documents Unit, Illinois State Library, Springfield, and are usually available from public libraries in the state through interlibrary loan. Issuing agencies may have copies available. For items listed under "Other Reports," write to the publisher as noted.
State Documents
The principal concern with paint is its lead content. Since an enormous number of housing units and other structures are coated with hazardous paint, future maintenance will involve the removal of this material, which has the potential of causing serious health problems. The current regulatory framework enables the IEPA to respond only after the release of hazardous material. A preventive approach is needed. This report offers background information on this problem and recommends a number of steps to address it, including proper training of paint removal workers and contractors, as well as advance notification of people living or working near paint removal projects. Groundwater Protection by Local Government, Department of Energy and Natural Resources and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency; available from ENR, 325 W. Adams, Springfield 62704 (March 1994), 60 pp. plus 10 appendices. The Illinois Groundwater Protection Act, passed in 1987, was designed to protect the state's groundwater reserves as a natural and public resource, and to establish new policies and coordinate existing programs. The purpose of this report is to provide information to local governments on how to implement the law. It explains the major causes of groundwater contamination and outlines ways in which local governments can help protect their groundwater quality. Among the 10 appendices are a list of acronyms, answers to common questions, examples of ordinances from other states and examples of assessment studies under the 1978 law. The report was prepared by Professors Clyde Forrest and Robert Olshansky of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in cooperation with the Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Other Reports It is generally agreed that a major aspect of the health care crisis facing this country is the issue of health care in rural areas. While this report is not about Illinois, it is relevant to this state because of its extensive rural sector. Its purpose is to look at some rural communities that have successfully met the challenge of providing effective health care. The report is based upon on-site research in several rural areas throughout the country: Alpine, Texas; Catron County, N.M.; DOS Palos, Calif.; Southeast Georgia; Warren County, N.C.; Wayne County, Utah; and Yuma and La Paz Counties, Ariz. While these communities followed different strategies, they all exhibited certain common characteristics: All had dynamic and innovative leadership committed to the community and to health care, a high level of support and involvement, the health care workers had rural origins, and the communities had pride and optimism regarding their future. Implementing Health Care Reform in Chicago, Metro Chicago Information Center and the Chicago Department, of Health; report is available from the center, 104 S. Michigan, Suite 300, Chicago 60603 (March 1994), 23 pp. Thirteen percent of households in the six- county metro area have at least one member without health insurance; of these, 60 percent are currently working, mostly in full-time jobs. Somewhat over one-fourth of metro Chicago residents are members of an HMO. As for Medicaid, enrollment in the U.S. stands at 6.4 percent, in Illinois it is 8.2 percent, in Chicago it is 22 percent, and in the six-county area the figure is 8.6 percent. Details on these statistics and a great deal of additional information about the health care situation in Chicago is contained in this report, which is based on a survey of over 3,000 households conducted annually by MCIC. Food Stamp Participation: Illinois Can Do Better, Illinois Hunger Coalition, 516 E. Monroe, Suite 601, Springfield 62701 (December 1993), 11 pp. According to the data collected for this report, participation in the federal Food Stamp Program in this state is low, accurate and positive information about the program is lacking, many people assume incorrectly that they are not eligible, and there is a social stigma attached to participating in it. The report provides background information on each of these findings and offers some ideas about how to overcome the problems raised. The report also contains a table showing food stamp participation by county as well as a color-coded map. Anna J. Merritt July 1994/lllinois Issues/43
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