CHICAGO, Illinois, April 30, 2008 (ENS) – A defunct metal plating company in a Chicago residential area has left its property littered with drums full of hazardous waste that state environmental officials warn are a danger to the surrounding community.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Doug Scott has asked the state Attorney General’s Office to proceed with enforcement action against James Mazzochi, doing business as Chicago Plating Company, Inc., for numerous violations of the Environmental Protection Act concerning the improper handling of hazardous wastes.

The facility, located at 1400 West 31st Place in the densely populated Bridgeport neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, is not being maintained in a safe manner, according to inspectors from the Illinois EPA.

The agency is concerned about the potential of fire, explosion or the release of hazardous waste into the environment.

Chicago Plating ceased operation in late 2007
after 30 years in business, but numerous
containers of hazardous wastes remain
in buildings and on facility property.

After twice being refused access to the facility, on March 28 officials from the Illinois EPA, accompanied by Cook County law enforcement officials, inspected the facility under an Administrative Inspection Warrant.

During the inspection, numerous unlabeled drums, which were suspected to contain hazardous wastes, were found, as well as pails containing unidentified materials and other potential sources of contamination.

Subsequent sample results confirmed the presence of hazardous levels of cadmium, chromium, lead, selenium and reactive cyanide.

The agency believes that the site poses a substantial danger to human health and the environment.

Due to the seriousness of the situation and the risk of human endangerment and Mazzochi’s apparent unwillingness to take the necessary steps to remedy the situation, the Illinois EPA is asking the attorney general to file a complaint seeking a preliminary injunction requiring that the site be cleaned up.

The agency will continue to work with the Illinois Attorney General to obtain information necessary to determine the proper course of action and will provide technical assistance as needed.

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SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, April 15, 2008 (ENS) – To lighten the planet’s load of greenhouse gases in observance of Earth Day, Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott is encouraging state residents to switch from traditional incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs.

“Next week marks the 38th celebration of Earth Day, which gives us a moment to reflect on how our decisions affect the planet and it also gives us a time to adopt a greener lifestyle for the future,” said Scott.

“If every American home replaced just one light bulb with a CFL, we would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that of nearly a million cars and reduce more than $600 million in annual energy costs,” he said.

Changing traditional incandescent bulbs for
energy-saving compact fluorescents
saves money and saves the climate.
(Photo credit unknown)

CFLs have come down in price and they still offer more savings than cheap, inefficient incandescent bulbs by using less electricity to operate and reducing the need to buy replacement bulbs, Scott said. CFLs can save at least $30 in electricity costs over each bulb’s lifetime.

In addition to the long-term savings built in to CFL technology, many power companies offer mail-in rebates on CFLs as they do when an energy efficient water heater or furnace is purchased. Go to www.energystar.gov for available rebates.

Because CFLs do contain a small amount of mercury, about the size of the tip of a pen, it is important to properly dispose of and recycle used bulbs in order to recover the small amount of mercury contained in each one.

Mercury is an essential component of CFLs and is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source, Scott explains.

In the event a bulb is broken it is important to remember not to throw CFLs away in household garbage. Take precautions when cleaning up the broken bulb. Do not use a vacuum cleaner, ventilate the room and keep people and pets away from the breakage area.

A complete list of precautions and suggestions for safely handling a broken bulb is on the Illinois EPA website.

When a CFL reaches the end of its long, efficient life, it can be recycled. Consumers can take advantage of available local recycling options. The Illinois EPA is partnering with ComEd and Ace Hardware to provide free collection of CFLs at 150 Chicagoland and Northeastern Illinois Ace Hardware stores.

The agency is also working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. Meanwhile, some retail stores that offer proper disposal of CFLs can be found at earth911.org.

The Illinois EPA also offers Household Hazardous Waste collections each spring and fall that give citizens the opportunity to safely dispose of unused or leftover household products commonly found in homes, basements and garages statewide in an environmentally sound manner, diverting them from local area landfills.

Please visit the Illinois EPA Household Hazardous Waste website [www.epa.state.il.us] for more information and local collection dates.

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