Illinois Gets Rid of 120 Illegal Waste Dumps

I-RID stands for Illinois Removes Illegal Dumps, a program established by law in 2005 to give the Illinois EPA additional authority to combat open dumping and clean up existing dumps.

The state agency says it has removed nearly 22,000 tons of illegally dumped waste, which has been collected and sent to regulated landfills for disposal.

Adding to those numbers, 444 tons of recyclable metal waste has been sent to salvage and recycling facilities and 275 tons of tires have been collected and recycled.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency collects illegally dumped tires for legal disposal. (Photo courtesy Illinois EPA)

"Since the Illinois EPA's I-RID Program was launched in late 2006, we have removed thousands of tons of waste that have not only become environmental hazards for the environment, but they have also become unsightly eyesores in Illinois' communities and in some of the state's most scenic areas," said Illinois EPA Director Douglas Scott. "This program has done an excellent job of protecting the environment and preserving it for all to enjoy."

Over the past year, the Illinois EPA has worked with local and county officials to remove illegally dumped waste throughout the state, in both rural and urban areas. Dump sites range from the tip of southern Illinois near Cave-in-Rock to rural central and eastern Illinois, and urban locations in both the East St. Louis and Chicago metro areas.

The cleanups have removed fiberglass boats, abandoned vehicles, household appliances, mattresses, random furniture and tires.

All illegally dumped waste is of concern to the Illinois EPA, but illegally dumped tires pose an even greater concern. Tires that are inappropriately disposed of serve as habitat for disease-carrying mosquitoes and can lead to tire fires that can contaminate the air, land and water.

Because whole tires have been banned from landfills, they often end up in unmanaged and illegal tire dumps where they accumulate stagnant water that serves as an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes that can potentially carry harmful diseases such as West Nile virus.

The I-RID program uses part of existing landfill fee revenues to cover costs of additional Illinois EPA inspection staff and cleanups. 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 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.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2007. All rights reserved.