Rockford Sun

Illinois residents looking to get rid of household hazardous waste will have to hold on to those items for a longer time period after the state Environmental Protection Agency paused collection events.

State Sen. Brian Stewart (R-Freeport) announced the suspension of these collections was due to a fire at an Ohio waste disposal facility, according to Friday's news release.

"Upcoming fall 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 EPA supports - have suspended operations until an alternative incinerator willing to accept Illinois' HHW is identified." 

Illinois' household hazardous waste is typically burned at a facility in Ohio, which caught fire in late June.  Hermitage Thermal spokesman Raymond Wayne said the scrubber in the facility started the fire, according to the Business Journal Daily.

There is a backlog for incinerators in the U.S., which was first identified by the Illinois EPA in 2021. 

The Illinois EPA said it is committed to rescheduling the household hazardous waste collection events once either an alternate disposal arrangement is found or the Ohio facility is back up and running. According to the release, the agency is hoping the events will be rescheduled later this year.