SPRINGFIELD - Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott announced today that 10 household hazardous waste collection events have been scheduled to be held across the state, starting Saturday, September 20.

 

"For nearly 20 years, this program has been helping citizens get potentially harmful chemicals out of their homes; the environment benefits as well by keeping those chemicals out of landfills, said Director Scott.  "This program has been an extremely popular program for because it gives homeowners opportunity to safely dispose of common household products that are potentially hazardous to human health and the environment."

 

The program, which began in 1989, has served over 400,000 households.  Since the program's inception, 449 one-day events have been held and over 78,000 fifty-five gallon drums of toxic materials have been collected from Illinois residents. The citizens are able to safely dispose of unused or leftover household products commonly found in homes, basements and garages. The materials are managed in an environmentally sound manner, diverting them from local area landfills, through various treatment technologies and recycling.

 

Citizens are encouraged to bring, oil-based paints, thinners, chemical cleaners, old medicines, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, kerosene, weed killers, insecticides, pesticides, adhesives, hobby chemicals, household batteries and similar products.  Fluorescent and other high-intensity discharge lamps may also be brought to the collections.  The public is encouraged to find alternative uses for latex paint since it is not considered hazardous.

 

The Illinois EPA will also collect unused and unwanted pharmaceuticals to prevent them from being flushed down the drain and ending up in a water source that may ultimately become a drinking water supply.  Studies have linked hormone exposure to reproductive defects in fish, and environmental exposure to antibiotics can lead to the development of drug-resistant germs. 

 

Residents are also encouraged to bring mercury and mercury containing products such as fever thermometers, old thermostats and elemental mercury, as part of an initiative by Governor Blagojevich and IEPA to reduce the amount of this hazardous material in our environment.

 

Items not accepted include explosives, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, medical waste, sharps, agricultural chemicals and all business wastes. Propane tanks and lead acid auto batteries cannot be accepted at most of the events, but should be taken to local recyclers.

 

 

 

*Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Ridgeland Avenue Solids Management Area

 

 

Naperville:              1971 Brookdale Road

                                Fire Station No. 4

        Phone 630/420-4190

 

Rockford                3333 Kishwaukee

                                Rock River Reclamation District

                                Phone 815/967-6737

 

City of Chicago:      1150 N. North Branch on Goose Island

                                www.cityofchicago.org.

                                Phone 312/744-7672

 

Lake County:        Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO)

                              Phone 847/336-9340