DeKalb Times

Senator Brian Stewart shared on Facebook that there will be a suspension to dispose of hazardous waste.

“Upcoming fall Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection events in Tinley Park, East Moline, Bloomington, Quincy, and Springfield — as well as long-term HHW disposal facilities in Chicago, Naperville, Lake County, Rockford, and Madison County that Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports — have suspended operations until an alternative incinerator willing to accept Illinois’ HHW is identified,” Stewart said.

The EPA noted that HHW can catch fire or explode under certain circumstances.

Illinois household hazardous waste is typically incinerated at a facility in Ohio, which caught fire in late June. 

The scrubber in the facility caught fire, according to Hermitage Therman spokesman Raymond Wayne.

KSDK reported a factory near Granite City went up in flames after unidentified hazardous material exploded. 

“I just could not believe how fast that fire moved and the pops sounded like loud booms,” Rachel Kirkwood, a resident, said to KSDK. “It was so hot that you could feel the heat on your face.”

There is a backlog for incinerators in the United States, which was first identified in 2021 by Illinois EPA. That backlog continues.

My Radio Link reported the move came after a fire from a disposal facility in Ohio.

“Residents in possession of household hazardous wastes (e.g., oil-based paints, herbicides, cleaning supplies, household batteries) should keep the materials safely stored in their original manufacturer containers, as those are designed to safely hold the items, until HHW collections resume,” the station wrote.

The Illinois EPA says it remains committed to rescheduling the household hazardous waste collection events once an alternative disposal arrangement is available, or the Ohio facility is operational. The agency is hoping to reschedule these events for later this year.

To learn more information about the collection of HHW, visit Illinois’ EPA Collections webpage.