News Releases - 2003

Tazewell County Men Referred to Attorney General for Waste Tire Violations

Springfield, Ill. -- Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano today referred two Tazewell County men to the Illinois Attorney General for allegedly illegally storing waste tires. Some of the tires had collected water and have become a breeding ground for disease -carrying mosquitoes.

The waste tires are located at 4663 North Main Street and 200 Upper Free Bridge Road in Fondulac Township, in Tazewell County. The property owner, William H. Dahl, and the tenant Ronald W. Bauer, are being accused with numerous violations of the Environmental Protection Act. In addition, Bauer is being accused of accumulating 20,000 tires on the site, which is also a violation of the Act. The violations include open dumping, open dumping of any waste that results in proliferation of disease vectors, open dumping of waste tires and putting human health at risk through these acts. The tires are immediately adjacent to an occupied mobile home park.

“I am requesting that Attorney General Lisa Madigan obtain an order requiring the defendants to immediately begin to remove all used and waste tires from the property and continue until completed,” said Director Cipriano.

The state is prepared to do whatever is necessary to abate the public health risk posed by these tires. This may include requiring professional application of a larvicide. If the state incurs any costs by these measures, the state will seek to recover these costs from Dahl and Bauer.

This site was previously the subject of an enforcement case prosecuted by the Attorney General. During a recent inspection, Illinois EPA staff observed that the used tires on the property remained in essentially the same condition as observed prior to the 2001 enforcement case.

During this inspection, the tires were sampled for mosquito larvae. Larval mosquitoes of the genus Culex (Northern House Mosquito) and the genus Ochlerotatus (Treehole Mosquito) were identified. “Culex is the primary carrier of West Nile virus, and Ochlerotatus can also carry the virus. The presence of these larvae pose a significant threat to human health as carriers of the West Nile virus as well as other mosquito-related diseases.” Cipriano said.

In March of this year, the Illinois EPA launched “Project TREAD,” seeking help from the public and local officials to identify and remove illegal tire dumps. Project TREAD (Tire Reduction, Education and Disposal) asks the public to report improperly discarded tires to the Illinois EPA and/or to local police. The Illinois EPA’s toll-free number is 1-888-372-1996.