Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott and Senator Dick Durbin visit orphan open dump site cleaned up by state I-RID program

CHICAGO - Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director Doug Scott was joined by Senator Dick Durbin and local officials at Ping Tom Memorial Park in the Chinatown neighborhood of Chicago today to mark progress of the removal of illegally dumped waste from the community.  The clean up is expected to be completed by the end of the month, weather permitting.

 

Helping to beautify the neighborhood, which was without a neighborhood park for 30 years, cleanup crews will continue to remove nearly 1,500 cubic yards of waste, clearing the way for an expansion of the park.  Among the waste to be removed are discarded railroad ties, along with some concrete and asphalt debris.  The cleanup is being conducted as part of the Illinois Removes Illegal Dumps (I-RID) program, which continues to remove environmental hazards and protect our Illinois' beautiful landscape.

 

"The goal of the cleanup that we are witnessing today is to two-fold.  It not only will remove an environmental eyesore, which has grown over the years, but it will create a space for families to enjoy the outdoors in their own community for generations to come," said Director Scott.  "This is a great day for the future of the neighborhood, and I am grateful to Governor Blagojevich and the General Assembly for providing additional funding to help us continue to beautify communities like Chinatown throughout the state."

 

The quick removal of old railroad ties and other debris will make way for two major projects that are still in the development stage, primarily the expansion of the athletic field to include a Youth Soccer Field and eventually, the Field House Complex.  In 1998, the Chicago Park District began transforming it into a rolling green space with a children's playground that included extensive use of recycled tire matting and impressive river views and walking paths.  In 2002, the Park district acquired an additional five acres on the northeast side of the park.

 

"Ten years ago, the spot we're standing on today was an abandoned rail yard and the children living in this neighborhood hadn't had a park of their own for more than 30 years.  Today, this is one of the most beautiful and unique parks and playgrounds in the city—thanks to a great Illinois EPA program," said Sen. Durbin, who secured $450,000 in federal funds for the development of the park.  "I applaud the Illinois EPA for cleaning up Ping Tom Memorial Park."

 

I-RID was launched by the Illinois EPA in the fall of 2006, after the Governor and Legislature had previously authorized the first significant funding in the agency's history to clean up illegal open dumps where responsible parties could not be found or practically required to do cleanups.  The program also gives the Illinois EPA Director additional authority to seal sites where there is a potential risk for harm to human health or the environment.

Since then, more than 130 of these often long-festering open dumps all over the state have been properly cleaned up by the Illinois EPA.  More than 281 tons of tires and more than 500 tons of metal have been recycled from the cleanups and more than 23,000 tons of other debris has been taken to regulated landfills for proper disposal.  Items fly-dumped have included a car chassis, refrigerators, couches and even fiberglass boats.

 

Working with local and county officials to identify candidates for I-RID cleanups, Illinois EPA has cleaned up sites ranging from the tip of Southern Illinois near Cave-in-Rock to rural central and eastern Illinois and urban locations in the Chicago metro area.

 

"I would like to thank Director Scott of the Illinois EPA for allocating IRID funds to clean up Ping Tom Park's expansion site and Senator Durbin, who previously obtained a HUD Grant of $450,000 for remediation work on the park," said Leonard Louie, President of the Ping Tom Memorial Park Advisory Council.  "The cleanup of the expansion area solves a major cost factor and will allow the Ping Tom Park Advisory Council to move ahead with fund raising plans to help with the cost of the aforementioned projects."

 

The IEPA will periodically inspect the site to ensure that the problem does not recur, and has the authority to issue administrative citations to violators of this and other provisions of the Environmental Protection Act.