Illinois EPA initiates second illegal dump cleanup in the Treasured Shawnee National Forest

KARBER'S RIDGE - Continuing to remove illegally dumped waste and to protect the environment from the senseless acts of fly dumpers in one of the country's most treasured forests, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director Doug Scott today announced that the Agency will begin a cleanup of another illegal dump site in the Shawnee National Forest.  The clean up begins tomorrow, April 30 and weather permitting, will finish Monday, May 5. 

 

The cleanup is the second of at least ten illegal dump sites in the Shawnee National Forest and consists of nearly 200 cubic yards of waste, which is scattered in deep ravines along a two mile stretch of road.  Over the next week crews will work hard to remove electronics, furniture, demolition debris, glass, plastic, tires, and other household wastes.  Following completion of the second cleanup, crews will begin to tackle the remaining illegal dumps throughout the national forest so that Illinoisans can enjoy it in its pristine state. 

 

Though all illegal waste negatively impacts the environment, improperly disposed tires and electronics cause special alarm.  Scrap tires are an ideal incubator for the mosquito larvae that carries diseases such as West Nile virus and encephalitis.  In addition, tires that are inappropriately disposed of can lead to tire fires that can contaminate the air, land and water.  Also, when surrounded by the extreme heat of the fire, the tires can melt into an oily substance that, when drenched with water, can form a harmful run-off that can contaminate nearby surface water and groundwater. 

 

Old electronic equipment can contain highly toxic chemicals, such as mercury, lead, cadmium and beryllium, which can be released into the environment if improperly disposed.  When electronics are dumped or burned, those toxins become a part of our environment and can be breathed or consumed by humans.  The cleanup is being conducted as part of the I-RID (Illinois Removes Illegal Dumps) Program, which continues to remove environmental hazards and protect Illinois' beautiful landscape.

 

"Illegal open dumping around Illinois can potentially pose health and safety hazards to both people and the environment, but the I-RID program has begun to tackle those environmental eyesores," said Illinois EPA Director Scott.  "This is the first time in the 37-year history of the Illinois EPA that we have had significant state funds to address orphan open dumps that have festered for years, and I am grateful to Governor Blagojevich and the General Assembly for providing additional funding and authority to Illinois EPA to clean up these messes."

 

I-RID was launched by the Illinois EPA in the fall of 2006, after the Governor and Legislature had previously authorized the first significant funding in the agency's history to clean up illegal open dumps where responsible parties could not be found or practically required to do cleanups.  The program also gives the Illinois EPA Director additional authority to seal sites where there is a potential risk for harm to human health or the environment.

 

With the funding, the Illinois EPA can hire contractors to clean up open dumps where responsible parties cannot be located or where various specific imminent threats, such as fire, are present.  The new law also provides for permitting and regulation of the disposal of clean construction or demolition debris, such as in former quarries, and gives the Illinois EPA Director additional authority to seal sites where there is a potential risk for harm to human health or the environment.

 

Working with local and county officials to identify candidates for I-RID cleanups, Illinois EPA has cleaned up sites ranging from the tip of Southern Illinois near Cave-in-Rock to rural central and eastern Illinois and urban locations in the Chicago metro area.

 

The Illinois EPA will periodically inspect the site to ensure that the problem does not recur, and has the authority to issue administrative citations to violators of this and other provisions of the Environmental Protection Act.