Citing concerns about their families’ safety, about 200 adults and children marched down Sunset Drive in Round Lake recently to protest a proposal to build a collection facility for household hazardous waste.
The planned location for the facility–a one-acre site in an industrial park within a half-mile of Round Lake High School, Magee Middle School and a community center–incensed the protesters, who said they feared an accident could endanger them and their children.
“I really don’t want it that close to the kids,” said Margie Cleveland, her 3-year-old son, David, in tow. “I don’t want it in the community, period.”
The facility would be operated by the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County. Wastes such as oils, paints, insecticides and drain cleaners would be stored there temporarily. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency would remove the wastes once a month for proper disposal.
Linda Molidor, president of the Round Lake school board, led the protest and called on opponents of the waste collection facility to write, call or e-mail the county waste agency. Petitions also were being distributed.
“We will do whatever we have to do to stop this,” Molidor said.
Andrew Quigley, executive director of the Lake County waste agency, said there is nothing to fear from such a facility and that the Round Lake residents were overreacting.
The Round Lake collection facility would be only the third in Illinois. The two current sites are in Naperville and Rockford. The IEPA, which regulates the facilities, does not require them to be set back from schools, said Geoff Sutton, an IEPA spokesman.
In fact, Rockford’s facility is within 100 feet of a school, said Tom Tullock, Rockford’s solid waste manager.
Quigley said the county waste agency requires only a building permit from the Village of Round Lake to proceed with its plans. The agency already has started the bidding process on the site, he said.
In a March 11 letter to Quigley, Round Lake Mayor James Lumber said it was time to end discussion of the waste collection facility.
“Our several meetings have not resolved the major issues. Safety concerns evident at the outset remain,” Lumber wrote. “The fire, school and park district still disapprove for what I agree are valid reasons. I regard the safety concerns unresolved and see no benefit in proceeding.”
Quigley said that letter did not rescind the agreement the village made in 1996 to allow the county waste agency to build the facility. He vowed that the agency would move forward with its plans, even though it has not received a building permit from the village.
Round Lake Fire Chief Paul Maplethorpe issued a statement saying Quigley’s “refusal to explore other possible locations for a facility is a disservice to the citizens of Round Lake and Lake County.”
Lake County Board member Larry Leafblad (R-Grayslake), who took part in the protest, also lambasted Quigley. Leafblad said he, the school district and fire district were caught “flat-footed” by the county agency’s poor communications.
“I blame Andy Quigley,” Leafblad said.
But Leafblad said there was “virtually nothing the county board can do . . . except apply pressure” on county officials to reconsider the site of the waste collection facility.
The protesters, meanwhile, remained unconvinced the waste collection facility would be safe.
“They think this is the middle of nowhere,” said Bradley Smith. “It’s not nowhere. It’s Round Lake. There’s a community here. I don’t think it’s right what they’re doing.”
Jessica Davis, a freshman at Round Lake High School, was one of several students allowed to join the protest by the school.
“It is shocking they’d want a hazardous materials building so close to a school,” Davis said.
