Illinois EPA awards grants to local governments for inspection and investigation      

Counties, local agencies are delegated enforcement authority

[SEPT. 29, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Solid Waste Enforcement Grants to 19 Illinois counties and the city of Chicago.

The grants will enable the governmental entities to conduct inspections of landfills, compost sites and transfer stations and will be for investigation and enforcement activities at solid waste disposal sites permitted by the Illinois EPA and at illegal dumps. The counties and Chicago have also been delegated the authority to inspect facilities on behalf of the Illinois EPA.

"County officials are closer to these facilities, so they can respond more quickly to any problems that may arise. The solid waste grants provide part of the necessary resources to ensure compliance of disposal facilities, cleanup of open dumps and documentation of enforcement-related actions," according to Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott.

Since 1987, the Illinois EPA has provided state grant funding to local governments. Local solid waste enforcement grants this year will include funding for three programs that have previously participated at their own expense: Ambraw Valley Solid Waste Agency, Perry County and Vermilion County.

The grant recipients and amounts each received are as follows:

• Ambraw Valley Solid Waste Agency*, $45,000
• Christian County, $76,751
• Cook (Chicago), $142,303
• DuPage County, $49,802
• Jackson County, $78,129

• Kankakee County, $46,490
• Lake County, $91,507
• LaSalle County, $89,096
• Macon County, $46,271
• Madison County, $122,991
• McHenry County, $41,620
• Montgomery County, $39,774
• Ogle County, $56,312
• Perry County*, $36,170
• Sangamon County, $153,904
• St. Clair County, $169,665
• Tazewell County, $64,017
• Vermilion County*, $45,000
• Wayne County, $28,510
• Will County, $146,241

*New grant funding for fiscal 2006.

With these grants, local governments must enter into delegation agreements with the Illinois EPA and hire and train landfill inspectors under the state's certification requirements.

In addition to state funding, the counties also receive training from the Illinois EPA's regional managers to assist them as they carry out their duties. This joint effort between the state and local government is one of the few such partnerships in the country.

[Illinois Environmental Protection Agency news release]