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Quinn Signs 3 New Laws To Protect Illinois' Environment

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Gov. Pat Quinn has signed three new laws aimed at protecting the environment in Illinois.

As WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports, Quinn signed the laws Thursday, aimed at protecting ecosystems from invasive species, improving recycling, and promoting green technology in plumbing.

Quinn says the measures reflect a shared "responsibility to do what we can to protect our natural resources."

The ecosystems law requires aquatic plants and animals to be removed from seaplanes and watercraft before they move from one body of water to another. If they are not removed, they could invade other bodies of water – as has happened with such animals as the zebra mussel in Lake Michigan.

Another law establishes a task force to review recycling and solid waste management practices. It will have two years to deliver recommendations for improvement to the governor and the General Assembly.

That measure also sets out recycling and composting standards.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports

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