The Illinois EPA spent about $1 Million since June of 2010 to clean up an illegal dump site in Markham that went ‘undetected’ for years. (How can you not detect an illegal dumpsite???)
..Miller said the council became aware of the site in April after the local fire department responded to a small tire fire at the location. The council then alerted the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which has paid for the extensive cleanup effort.
The IEPA has spent about $1 million since mid-June to remove more than 56,000 tires, 10,400 tons of construction debris and household garbage, about 40 damaged boat hulls, auto parts, and drums of unknown liquids. EPA officials said the dump may have been in use for years, if not decades.
State EPA director Doug Scott once again called upon the public to alert authorities when they see someone dumping garbage illegally. He also urged better cooperation and communication between local, county and state law enforcement to locate illegal dump sites and to track down those responsible. Cleaning up illegal dumps across Illinois has cost taxpayers more than $5 million since 2006, officials said.
“We need to shift from simply policing these dumps to trying to prevent these dumps from occurring,” Scott said. “We can’t afford (the cleanup) anymore. The villages can’t afford it anymore. And we really shouldn’t have to.”
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