New Law Increases Penalties Against Illegal Dumping

“Illegal dump sites can pose serious hazards to neighborhoods and entire communities,” said Governor Quinn. “We need the help of Illinois residents to prevent illegal dumping, and I encourage people throughout the state to participate in keeping their communities safe.”

The new law provides for increased penalties for 250 cubic feet of waste or 50 waste tires, and makes it a Class 4 felony. It also increases the felony penalty for open dumping from $5,000 to $25,000. Currently, the penalty for a first violation of the open dumping prohibition is a Class A misdemeanor, regardless of the quantity of waste dumped.

“The Agency is grateful to the Governor and to the General Assembly for enhancing our ability to prevent illegal dumping and protect the environment from the harm it causes,” said Illinois EPA Interim Director Lisa Bonnett. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Ann Williams, Chicago, and by Sen. John Millner, West Chicago.
Illegal dumping affects all Illinois citizens’ quality of life. Abandoned furniture, appliances and garbage can be an eyesore and pose a potentially negative impact to property values. Illegally disposed chemicals, tires and construction debris can pose a health and safety risk to nearby citizens, especially children who may play on the disposal site.
As part of the overall effort, the Illinois EPA is partnering with the Illinois Departments of Public Health and Natural Resources and the Office of the Attorney General in a state-wide effort to prevent illegal dumping. The idea is to stop each small dumping event from becoming a larger, potential threat to public health and the environment and a costly mess that must be cleaned up with taxpayer’s money.

An example of the consequences of unchecked open dumping occurred at Markham. Illinois EPA was alerted by the City of Markham to a tire fire at a nearby illegal dump in April 2010 site. An Agency inspection revealed discarded mobile homes, automobile parts, boats, tires, drums and totes of unknown liquids and solids, construction material residue, gas cylinders, spills on the ground, swimming pool chemicals and various other debris. It was apparent that dumping activities had been going on for many years. The Illinois EPA arranged for the site to be cleaned up, at a cost of over $1 million and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency removed the various hazardous wastes, at additional costs.

Catching and punishing illegal dumpers saves taxpayers money, and protects the public against the environmental and health risk that the dumps can create.