Press Releases
Illinois EPA Cleaning-Up Open Dump Site in Clinton County
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois EPA Director Lisa Bonnett today announced that the Agency has begun the cleanup of an open dump site at Woodlawn Mobile Home Park in Centralia. The cleanup began on Monday, April 21 and is expected to be completed next week, weather permitting.
The Agency will clean up approximately 400-500 bags of trash that have been open dumped on the property, located at 35 Woodlawn Trailer Park (off of West McCord Street) in Centralia. The mobile home park contained an estimated 50 mobile homes on the property. The property has gone through bankruptcy and Clinton County now holds the deed to the property. Clinton County officials sought assistance from the Agency’s Open Dump Cleanup Unit to remove debris from the property. An estimated 600 cubic yards (660 tons) or more of demolition debris, furniture and household garbage will be removed from the site. Waste will be transported to the Cottonwood Hills Landfill in Marissa.
An open dump is defined as abandoned piles of garbage, construction debris, unwanted appliances or other refuse. These dump sites present an environmental, health and safety threat to the public and creates a public nuisance.
“Cleanup of these sites is necessary to protect the local environment and residents,” said Director Bonnett. “Through the removal of illegally dumped waste, communities are able to restore and reuse the property for future development and enjoyment.
Since the fall of 2006, approximately 280 of these often long-festering open dumps all over the state have been properly cleaned up by the Illinois EPA. Almost 810 tons of tires and nearly 1,200 tons of metal have been recycled from the cleanups and nearly 42,000 tons of other debris has been taken to regulated landfills for proper disposal.
The Illinois EPA periodically inspects sites to ensure that open dumping does not recur, and has the authority to issue administrative citations to violators of this and other provisions of the Environmental Protection Act.
Press Releases