From Stltoday.com:
By Kevin McDermott
POST-DISPATCH SPRINGFIELD BUREAU
Thursday, Jan. 10 2008
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Almost two weeks into Illinois' new indoor smoking ban,
state officials haven't yet cleared the air of lingering questions over how it
is to be enforced — and what recourse business owners have if they think
they've been wrongly cited for violations.
The ban remains in effect, as it has since Jan. 1, making it illegal to smoke
in or near bars, restaurants, casinos and other indoor public venues in
Illinois. But there are still no detailed enforcement standards for that ban. A
legislative panel on Wednesday rejected, for the second time, a proposed set of
specific rules.
As a result, it remains unclear how outdoor beer gardens are to be policed,
whether bar owners are responsible for outdoor smoke that drifts inside, and
whether universities can legally conduct smoking-related research in state
facilities.
What most concerned lawmakers on the panel Wednesday was that the proposed
rules provided no internal appeals process for businesses that are fined for
violating the law.
"The existence of an ashtray (in a restaurant) could trigger an investigation,"
yet there's no way for the restaurant owner to appeal any findings except to
sue in the court system, said Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, a member of the Joint
Administrative Committee on Rules.
That legislative committee, which oversees how state laws are implemented by
state agencies, voted 9-1 against approving rules that were proposed by the
Illinois Department of Public Health. The agency now will have to revise and
resubmit its proposed rules to lawmakers, probably next month.
It was the second time in the past two months that the legislative panel
rejected the agency's proposed rules. Lawmakers expressed frustration at what
they said was the agency's continued failure to address crucial issues of
enforcement and due process.
"The one thing I've heard from my constituents is they don't know what their
rights are," Rep. David Miller, D-Dolton, said at the hearing.
Miller and others chided Public Health Department officials for their
insistence that the proposed rules should be implemented immediately, and then
updated as needed.
"Even though you know there are problems with the rules as written, you want to
proceed?" Miller asked.
After the hearing, department spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said the agency was
disappointed at the committee's decision, and that it will put together yet
another proposed set of rules for lawmakers to consider next month.
"The law still is in place," she added. "As far as smoking in a bar or
restaurant or bowling alley … that is still against the law."
But within that broad prohibition, there remain numerous detailed questions —
to the frustration of business owners who are trying to find ways to continue
to cater to smokers without violating the new law.
One of them, Fast Eddie's tavern of Alton, has conducted a major renovation to
install a beer garden to allow patrons to legally smoke on the premises. Owner
Eddie Sholar said he's confident the facility adheres to the new law as it's
currently written, but he worries that whatever rules are eventually
implemented from Springfield may change that.
"They say we have to obey the law, but they can't even tell you what it is.
Just tell us what it is and we'll do it," Sholar said Wednesday. "It's
ridiculous how Illinois did this. They don't even know what they're doing."
State officials have received about 300 complaints alleging smoking ban
violations by businesses since the ban started Jan. 1, said Arnold, the Public
Health Department spokeswoman. She said she wasn't aware of any fines being
imposed, and that most violators still were being given warning notices because
the law is so new.
Showing posts with label Illinois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Illinois. Show all posts
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Sunday, December 30, 2007
East Side Bar Owners Brace for Worst As Smoking Ban Takes Effect - Smokers Threaten to Move Their Drinking to St. Louis' Ban-Free Bars
From Belleville News-Democrat:
BY OLIVIA GOLDBERG
For the News-Democrat
More than 70 percent of Illinois residents support a ban on smoking in restaurants and work places. But you'd never know it to hear the customers at Crehan's Irish Pub in Belleville.
Grumbling about the statewide ban on smoking in public places that begins Tuesday, some customers said they'll give up a favorite hangout before they give up a favorite habit.
"I'll go across the river," said David Rush, 64. A retired engineer, Rush patronizes Crehan's three or four days a week. But now he plans to take trips to Soulard or the Hill in St. Louis. Some Missouri municipalities have enacted smoking bans, but St. Louis city and St. Louis County have not.
"We've had people here say their friends are planning to come over here from Illinois and party," said Paula Young, the service manager at Hammerstone's in Soulard.
It's a reaction that has Crehan's owner, Barry Gregory, on edge these days.
"I'm much more nervous about it now than ever I have been," said Gregory who, at 54, staked his future on the success of the bar-restaurant at 5500 North Belt West.
"I invested my entire retirement in this facility," he said. "If this doesn't work out, you'll probably see me as a greeter at some local store somewhere."
Eddie Sholar, owner of Fast Eddie's Bon Air in Alton, already had plans to expand and, with passage of the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, began incorporating a large space especially for smokers.
"We like to say there's no smoking ban here," Sholar said.
Sholar described the additional 300-seat bar as "just a regular room that meets all the codes."
The Smoke-Free Illinois Act, slated to take effect Tuesday, has stirred up passions -- particularly among smokers. The law prohibits smoking in all public places, including restaurants, bars and clubs.
It is a response to the 2006 U.S. Surgeon General's report, which determined there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and that even small amounts of exposure puts health at risk.
The state backed up the legislation with findings from its 2005 survey in which 72 percent of adults believed smoking should not be allowed in work areas. Nearly 73 percent supported a law for smoke-free restaurants.
The state also cited a 2006 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which calculated that nearly 80 percent of Illinoisans do not smoke. Compliance rates with other states that had previously enacted smoke-free laws, it found, were high.
Gregory serves as the area state vice president of the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association, which has lobbied steadily against a smoking ban because bars could go out of business.
The American Cancer Society, which supported the smoking ban, has heard similar arguments from business owners like Gregory before. As of 2007, 25 states have passed similar anti-smoking laws.
"We understand the way these establishments in the hospitality industry may feel, but there are more than 20 independent studies that say these laws have a neutral or positive effect on hospitality industries," said Dr. James Piephoff, the volunteer board president of American Cancer Society's metro-east chapter.
Gregory, his patrons and employees say the law is, at worst, an infringement on citizens' rights to determine their own behaviors.
"They're taking away your personal choice in trying to protect you," Gregory said. "It's been proven with prohibition that you can't legislate. ..." Rush finished Gregory's sentence. "Morality?" he said. "Right," Gregory answered.
Patrons at the Fairview Heights Memorial VFW 8677 and Ladies' Auxiliary on North Illinois Street in Fairview Heights tend to weigh in on smoking more as a fundamental right, one implied in the U.S. Constitution and now, imperiled.
"My dad served in World War II, my husband served in Vietnam and my son's been in the Army 15 years," said bar manager Ruth Ann Shellito.
"All of them served for our rights and freedoms, but they're constantly taking our freedoms away," she said, adding that plans to build a beer garden on the property are on hold, pending more information on the parameters of the new law.
Rosie Gwinn, president of the Ladies Auxiliary, quit smoking in 1999 after her mother, Carol Gwinn, suffered a heart attack. Returning to the smoky VFW was a challenge at first, but one she said she had to get past.
"If you want to be with your friends, you have to get over it," she said, adding that she smells smoke on her clothes when she gets home. "But here it doesn't bother me at all. People are going to smoke wherever you go."
However, the number of public places people can smoke in the country has declined. Between 1998 and 1999, 61 percent of adults in U.S. households polled by the National Cancer Institute for a tobacco use survey said smoking was not allowed at home. Sixty-eight percent said their workplaces did not allow smoking. By 2003, the numbers had grown to 74 percent and 77 percent, respectively.
Similarly, nearly 30 percent of U.S. households surveyed between 1998 and 1999 believed bars and cocktail lounges should be smoke-free. Three years later, that number grew to nearly 40 percent. Attitudes toward smoking have changed.
Case in point: John Pilkington. The 58-year-old father and grandfather exited St. Clair Square on Christmas Eve and promptly lit up. In his estimation, the more smoke-free environments lawmakers identify, the better.
"She's been after me for years to quit," nodding toward his daughter, Anne Amici, 37.
Local businesses don't have years, and owners must take steps now to turn people's habits -- at least in their establishments -- around. Ashtrays will vanish, no smoking signs will appear and some places, like Porter's Cigar Bar in Collinsville, will take on a whole new identity.
The swanky space has emptied its humidors in anticipation of the ban. After Tuesday, the venue will be known as Porter's Place, a jazz and blues venue.
"It's certainly not what we wanted, but we're trying to put our best face forward as a way to remarket Porter's," said general manager Tom Bruno. The business has partnered with the music department at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to acquire local talent.
While Bruno, like so many of his colleagues, tried to stall or seek exemption from the legislation, the ban's passage told him the time to fight was over.
"It's the law now," he said. "We want to be in compliance with the law."
BY OLIVIA GOLDBERG
For the News-Democrat
More than 70 percent of Illinois residents support a ban on smoking in restaurants and work places. But you'd never know it to hear the customers at Crehan's Irish Pub in Belleville.
Grumbling about the statewide ban on smoking in public places that begins Tuesday, some customers said they'll give up a favorite hangout before they give up a favorite habit.
"I'll go across the river," said David Rush, 64. A retired engineer, Rush patronizes Crehan's three or four days a week. But now he plans to take trips to Soulard or the Hill in St. Louis. Some Missouri municipalities have enacted smoking bans, but St. Louis city and St. Louis County have not.
"We've had people here say their friends are planning to come over here from Illinois and party," said Paula Young, the service manager at Hammerstone's in Soulard.
It's a reaction that has Crehan's owner, Barry Gregory, on edge these days.
"I'm much more nervous about it now than ever I have been," said Gregory who, at 54, staked his future on the success of the bar-restaurant at 5500 North Belt West.
"I invested my entire retirement in this facility," he said. "If this doesn't work out, you'll probably see me as a greeter at some local store somewhere."
Eddie Sholar, owner of Fast Eddie's Bon Air in Alton, already had plans to expand and, with passage of the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, began incorporating a large space especially for smokers.
"We like to say there's no smoking ban here," Sholar said.
Sholar described the additional 300-seat bar as "just a regular room that meets all the codes."
The Smoke-Free Illinois Act, slated to take effect Tuesday, has stirred up passions -- particularly among smokers. The law prohibits smoking in all public places, including restaurants, bars and clubs.
It is a response to the 2006 U.S. Surgeon General's report, which determined there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and that even small amounts of exposure puts health at risk.
The state backed up the legislation with findings from its 2005 survey in which 72 percent of adults believed smoking should not be allowed in work areas. Nearly 73 percent supported a law for smoke-free restaurants.
The state also cited a 2006 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which calculated that nearly 80 percent of Illinoisans do not smoke. Compliance rates with other states that had previously enacted smoke-free laws, it found, were high.
Gregory serves as the area state vice president of the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association, which has lobbied steadily against a smoking ban because bars could go out of business.
The American Cancer Society, which supported the smoking ban, has heard similar arguments from business owners like Gregory before. As of 2007, 25 states have passed similar anti-smoking laws.
"We understand the way these establishments in the hospitality industry may feel, but there are more than 20 independent studies that say these laws have a neutral or positive effect on hospitality industries," said Dr. James Piephoff, the volunteer board president of American Cancer Society's metro-east chapter.
Gregory, his patrons and employees say the law is, at worst, an infringement on citizens' rights to determine their own behaviors.
"They're taking away your personal choice in trying to protect you," Gregory said. "It's been proven with prohibition that you can't legislate. ..." Rush finished Gregory's sentence. "Morality?" he said. "Right," Gregory answered.
Patrons at the Fairview Heights Memorial VFW 8677 and Ladies' Auxiliary on North Illinois Street in Fairview Heights tend to weigh in on smoking more as a fundamental right, one implied in the U.S. Constitution and now, imperiled.
"My dad served in World War II, my husband served in Vietnam and my son's been in the Army 15 years," said bar manager Ruth Ann Shellito.
"All of them served for our rights and freedoms, but they're constantly taking our freedoms away," she said, adding that plans to build a beer garden on the property are on hold, pending more information on the parameters of the new law.
Rosie Gwinn, president of the Ladies Auxiliary, quit smoking in 1999 after her mother, Carol Gwinn, suffered a heart attack. Returning to the smoky VFW was a challenge at first, but one she said she had to get past.
"If you want to be with your friends, you have to get over it," she said, adding that she smells smoke on her clothes when she gets home. "But here it doesn't bother me at all. People are going to smoke wherever you go."
However, the number of public places people can smoke in the country has declined. Between 1998 and 1999, 61 percent of adults in U.S. households polled by the National Cancer Institute for a tobacco use survey said smoking was not allowed at home. Sixty-eight percent said their workplaces did not allow smoking. By 2003, the numbers had grown to 74 percent and 77 percent, respectively.
Similarly, nearly 30 percent of U.S. households surveyed between 1998 and 1999 believed bars and cocktail lounges should be smoke-free. Three years later, that number grew to nearly 40 percent. Attitudes toward smoking have changed.
Case in point: John Pilkington. The 58-year-old father and grandfather exited St. Clair Square on Christmas Eve and promptly lit up. In his estimation, the more smoke-free environments lawmakers identify, the better.
"She's been after me for years to quit," nodding toward his daughter, Anne Amici, 37.
Local businesses don't have years, and owners must take steps now to turn people's habits -- at least in their establishments -- around. Ashtrays will vanish, no smoking signs will appear and some places, like Porter's Cigar Bar in Collinsville, will take on a whole new identity.
The swanky space has emptied its humidors in anticipation of the ban. After Tuesday, the venue will be known as Porter's Place, a jazz and blues venue.
"It's certainly not what we wanted, but we're trying to put our best face forward as a way to remarket Porter's," said general manager Tom Bruno. The business has partnered with the music department at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to acquire local talent.
While Bruno, like so many of his colleagues, tried to stall or seek exemption from the legislation, the ban's passage told him the time to fight was over.
"It's the law now," he said. "We want to be in compliance with the law."
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Illinois Officials Big Failure - Critical Smoking Ban Questions Unanswered Days Before NYE Effective Date
Who is going to pay for enforcing this law? How many communities have extra money to cover cost of enforcement of smoking ban? What programs will suffer or be cut when communites are forced to pay for this unfunded mandate? Will police be forced to curtail street patrols so they can write tickets in bars?
From St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
By Kevin McDermott
POST-DISPATCH SPRINGFIELD BUREAU
Sunday, Dec. 23 2007
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — This much is clear: After midnight on New Year's Eve, it
will be illegal to light a cigarette inside a restaurant, bar or other indoor
public place anywhere in Illinois.
But parts of Illinois' impending smoking ban remain hazy. It will go into
effect Jan. 1 with unsettled questions regarding outdoor dining patios,
merchant liability, the appeals process and even the wording of the
"no-smoking" signs that businesses will be required to post.
"There are some things that haven't been totally defined," said Barb Hohlt of
the St. Clair County Health Department, who cited especially "questions about
beer gardens and patios."
She added, "To be honest with you, we don't have the answers to those."
Normally, the state agency responsible for rolling out a new law (the Illinois
Department of Public Health, in the case of the smoking ban) proposes specific
rules so local officials and the public know exactly what to do. The proposed
rules have to be approved by a legislative body called the Joint Committee on
Administrative Rules, made up of 12 state legislators.
The process is to make sure that the agencies carry out new laws the way the
Legislature
intended. The committee declined earlier this month to approve the proposed
rules from the Department of Public Health, saying they don't address key
issues.
Generally, the law bans all smoking in enclosed public places, all venues where
employees are present, and within 15 feet of entryways of those venues. The law
sets fines of up to $250 for individuals and $2,500 for businesses that defy
the ban.
But the proposed rules didn't address what happens if a smoking complaint
arises from something beyond a business' control — say, a non-patron smoking
outdoors but near a restaurant doorway. And there's no administrative appeals
process for a business that believes it's been wrongly fined.
Also, the proposed rules don't provide exemptions for situations that obviously
weren't the target of the law, including several smoking research programs
being conducted by universities. State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Pontiac, a
committee member, worried that the law might bar such research. He added that
the smoking ban law was poorly drafted and the proposed rules inadequate.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Public Health is re-working its proposed
rules, and the committee could approve them at its next meeting Jan. 9. But
that means local officials and businesses will still have to feel their way
around the new law for more than a week, at least, with some details still
unclear.
Toni Corona of the Madison County Public Health Department called the snag "a
hiccup in the process." She said it wouldn't impede the ban locally, but had
complicated issues such as what kind of "no smoking" signs businesses have to
post.
There also are quandaries about outdoor restaurant areas that are partly
enclosed, an issue the only vaguely addresses.
Hohlt, of the St. Clair County Health Department, is refraining from even
trying to answer that question until the rules clarify it.
"We don't want to cause a local business to construct things (for smokers) that
don't comply with the law," she said.
A spokesman for the Illinois Restaurant Association, Larry Suffredin, said that
the snag was another reminder that "state government doesn't always function
well," but that he didn't expect restaurants to have any serious problems
implementing it. "The law is clear: There's no smoking as of Jan. 1."
kmcdermott@post-dispatch.com
From St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
By Kevin McDermott
POST-DISPATCH SPRINGFIELD BUREAU
Sunday, Dec. 23 2007
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — This much is clear: After midnight on New Year's Eve, it
will be illegal to light a cigarette inside a restaurant, bar or other indoor
public place anywhere in Illinois.
But parts of Illinois' impending smoking ban remain hazy. It will go into
effect Jan. 1 with unsettled questions regarding outdoor dining patios,
merchant liability, the appeals process and even the wording of the
"no-smoking" signs that businesses will be required to post.
"There are some things that haven't been totally defined," said Barb Hohlt of
the St. Clair County Health Department, who cited especially "questions about
beer gardens and patios."
She added, "To be honest with you, we don't have the answers to those."
Normally, the state agency responsible for rolling out a new law (the Illinois
Department of Public Health, in the case of the smoking ban) proposes specific
rules so local officials and the public know exactly what to do. The proposed
rules have to be approved by a legislative body called the Joint Committee on
Administrative Rules, made up of 12 state legislators.
The process is to make sure that the agencies carry out new laws the way the
Legislature
intended. The committee declined earlier this month to approve the proposed
rules from the Department of Public Health, saying they don't address key
issues.
Generally, the law bans all smoking in enclosed public places, all venues where
employees are present, and within 15 feet of entryways of those venues. The law
sets fines of up to $250 for individuals and $2,500 for businesses that defy
the ban.
But the proposed rules didn't address what happens if a smoking complaint
arises from something beyond a business' control — say, a non-patron smoking
outdoors but near a restaurant doorway. And there's no administrative appeals
process for a business that believes it's been wrongly fined.
Also, the proposed rules don't provide exemptions for situations that obviously
weren't the target of the law, including several smoking research programs
being conducted by universities. State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Pontiac, a
committee member, worried that the law might bar such research. He added that
the smoking ban law was poorly drafted and the proposed rules inadequate.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Public Health is re-working its proposed
rules, and the committee could approve them at its next meeting Jan. 9. But
that means local officials and businesses will still have to feel their way
around the new law for more than a week, at least, with some details still
unclear.
Toni Corona of the Madison County Public Health Department called the snag "a
hiccup in the process." She said it wouldn't impede the ban locally, but had
complicated issues such as what kind of "no smoking" signs businesses have to
post.
There also are quandaries about outdoor restaurant areas that are partly
enclosed, an issue the only vaguely addresses.
Hohlt, of the St. Clair County Health Department, is refraining from even
trying to answer that question until the rules clarify it.
"We don't want to cause a local business to construct things (for smokers) that
don't comply with the law," she said.
A spokesman for the Illinois Restaurant Association, Larry Suffredin, said that
the snag was another reminder that "state government doesn't always function
well," but that he didn't expect restaurants to have any serious problems
implementing it. "The law is clear: There's no smoking as of Jan. 1."
kmcdermott@post-dispatch.com
Illinois Statewide Smoking Ban Takes Effect @ Midnight on New Year's Eve
From Chicago Sun-Times:
December 28, 2007
.. Article By Line -->
BY JIM RITTER Health Reporter/jritter@suntimes.com
.. Article's First Paragraph -->
At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, Illinois will ban virtually all indoor smoking in public spaces, including bars and restaurants.
Bad timing, said Sheila O'Grady of the Illinois Restaurant Association.
"To become effective in the middle of New Years Eve celebrations is not ideal."
However, O'Grady predicted that restaurants will comply. And if past experience is any guide, she's probably right.
Chicago restricted indoor smoking in 2005, and so far this year, the city has received only 119 smoking-related complaints, the public health department said.
Under the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, just about the only places left where you can smoke indoors will be private cars and homes.
Smoking will be banned in offices, factory floors, stores, private clubs, prisons, bowling alleys, dormitories, stadiums, casinos, elevators and restrooms.
Smoking also will be banned within 15 feet of entrances, exits and windows.
Smoking will still be allowed in private rooms in nursing homes, in up to 25 percent of hotel rooms and in tobacco shops and hookah bars that don't serve food or alcohol.
Smokers could be fined as much as $250. Businesses could be fined at least $250 for the first violation and at least $2,500 for a third violation within a year.
The city offers this advice if you see a violation: Ask the smoker to put the cigarette out, then inform the management. And if that doesn't work, call 311. After three complaints, the city will send an inspector to investigate.
Outside Chicago, call the Cook County Public Health Department, (708) 492-2000 or the Illinois Public Health Department, (866) 973-4646.
Health advocates say the law will protect workers. In addition to cancer, secondhand smoke can cause stroke, heart disease, respiratory ailments and sudden infant death syndrome. Studies have found secondhand smoke kills 65,000 Americans each year, including eight people in Illinois every day.
A 2005 survey found that 72 percent of Illinois adults said smoking should be banned from work and 73 percent said it should be banned from restaurants.
But the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association says bars, restaurants and nightclubs could lose business to neighboring states. And a casino trade group has warned that casinos could lose as much as 20 percent of their business, costing the state as much as $144 million in lost tax revenue.
December 28, 2007
.. Article By Line -->
BY JIM RITTER Health Reporter/jritter@suntimes.com
.. Article's First Paragraph -->
At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, Illinois will ban virtually all indoor smoking in public spaces, including bars and restaurants.
Bad timing, said Sheila O'Grady of the Illinois Restaurant Association.
"To become effective in the middle of New Years Eve celebrations is not ideal."
However, O'Grady predicted that restaurants will comply. And if past experience is any guide, she's probably right.
Chicago restricted indoor smoking in 2005, and so far this year, the city has received only 119 smoking-related complaints, the public health department said.
Under the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, just about the only places left where you can smoke indoors will be private cars and homes.
Smoking will be banned in offices, factory floors, stores, private clubs, prisons, bowling alleys, dormitories, stadiums, casinos, elevators and restrooms.
Smoking also will be banned within 15 feet of entrances, exits and windows.
Smoking will still be allowed in private rooms in nursing homes, in up to 25 percent of hotel rooms and in tobacco shops and hookah bars that don't serve food or alcohol.
Smokers could be fined as much as $250. Businesses could be fined at least $250 for the first violation and at least $2,500 for a third violation within a year.
The city offers this advice if you see a violation: Ask the smoker to put the cigarette out, then inform the management. And if that doesn't work, call 311. After three complaints, the city will send an inspector to investigate.
Outside Chicago, call the Cook County Public Health Department, (708) 492-2000 or the Illinois Public Health Department, (866) 973-4646.
Health advocates say the law will protect workers. In addition to cancer, secondhand smoke can cause stroke, heart disease, respiratory ailments and sudden infant death syndrome. Studies have found secondhand smoke kills 65,000 Americans each year, including eight people in Illinois every day.
A 2005 survey found that 72 percent of Illinois adults said smoking should be banned from work and 73 percent said it should be banned from restaurants.
But the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association says bars, restaurants and nightclubs could lose business to neighboring states. And a casino trade group has warned that casinos could lose as much as 20 percent of their business, costing the state as much as $144 million in lost tax revenue.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Illinois EPA Cleaning Up Illegal East St. Louis Dumps
From Belleville.com:
BY CARA ANTHONY
News-Democrat
EAST ST. LOUIS --State crews on Tuesday began cleaning up areas in the city that have been used as illegal dumps.
The workers are concentrating on the 5500 block of Summit Ave. Crews will be in that area until June 29.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency initiated the cleanup that targets trustee property, alleys and ditches. Areas used as illegal dumping sites often contain household garbage, abandoned vehicles and tires.
"The cleanups happen all across the state of Illinois," said Jill Watson, a spokeswoman for the IEPA.
A recent state cleanup in nearby Venice collected 1,306 tons of waste and nearly 67 tons of abandoned tires. Improperly managed used tires provide a breeding ground for mosquitos, which carry the West Nile virus.
"We are making the effort to turn East St. Louis around and make it a cleaner town," said Joe Zappa, a project manager for the Illinois Removes Illegal Dumps program. Washington Park also will be included in the I-RID program's cleanup efforts.
The state hires local contractors to clean up the illegal dump sites after the responsible parties cannot be located or areas that present imminent threats, such as fires or hazardous waste, are identified.
"Illegal open dumping around Illinois can potentially pose health and safety hazards to both people and the environment, but the I-RID program has begun to tackle those environmental eyesores," IEPA Director Doug Scott said.
The I-RID program became law in 2005 and gives the IEPA additional authority to combat open dumping and clean up existing dumps.
BY CARA ANTHONY
News-Democrat
EAST ST. LOUIS --State crews on Tuesday began cleaning up areas in the city that have been used as illegal dumps.
The workers are concentrating on the 5500 block of Summit Ave. Crews will be in that area until June 29.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency initiated the cleanup that targets trustee property, alleys and ditches. Areas used as illegal dumping sites often contain household garbage, abandoned vehicles and tires.
"The cleanups happen all across the state of Illinois," said Jill Watson, a spokeswoman for the IEPA.
A recent state cleanup in nearby Venice collected 1,306 tons of waste and nearly 67 tons of abandoned tires. Improperly managed used tires provide a breeding ground for mosquitos, which carry the West Nile virus.
"We are making the effort to turn East St. Louis around and make it a cleaner town," said Joe Zappa, a project manager for the Illinois Removes Illegal Dumps program. Washington Park also will be included in the I-RID program's cleanup efforts.
The state hires local contractors to clean up the illegal dump sites after the responsible parties cannot be located or areas that present imminent threats, such as fires or hazardous waste, are identified.
"Illegal open dumping around Illinois can potentially pose health and safety hazards to both people and the environment, but the I-RID program has begun to tackle those environmental eyesores," IEPA Director Doug Scott said.
The I-RID program became law in 2005 and gives the IEPA additional authority to combat open dumping and clean up existing dumps.
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