Illegal Dumping Prevention Project

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OVERVIEW

Illegal dumping is a major problem that raises significant concerns with regard to safety, property values, and quality of life in our communities. In addition, it is a major economic burden on local government, which is typically responsible for cleaning up dump sites.

The Region 5 Illegal Dumping Prevention Project was established to exchange information and establish partnerships to develop and implement strategies to combat illegal dumping. The overall goal of this effort is to add value to local efforts to prevent and mitigate illegal dumping.

ACTIVITIES

Site Visit Reports: (site visits conducted April and May 1997)

Greater Chicago (PDF) (17pp, 373K) January 2001
Mississippi Gateway (PDF) (12pp, 335K) January 2001
Northwest Indiana (PDF) (13pp, 1.2MB) January 2001
Southeast Michigan (PDF) (16pp, 500K) January 2001
Greater Cleveland (Northeast Ohio) (PDF) (21pp, 1.1MB) January 2001

The Illegal Dumping Prevention Project focuses on five geographical initiative areas (GIA) within EPA Region 5: Greater Chicago, the Mississippi Gateway, Northwest Indiana, Southeast Michigan and Greater Cleveland. "Site Visit Reports" were developed to identify key contacts, define the nature of the problem, identify ongoing prevention efforts, and determine outstanding resource needs in each area (click on the map to view a site report for a particular GIA). A fact sheet Illegal Dumping Prevention Project Update and Overview(PDF) (2pp, 46K, January 2001) provides an overview of this effort. In addition, EPA partnered with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to create a Illegal Dumping Prevention Project Tribal Assistance Factsheet (PDF) (2pp, 16K, January 2001), focusing efforts on seven tribal reservations. In addition, "stakeholder meetings" are held to exchange information and establish collaborative projects. Examples of projects include targeted enforcement pilots, law enforcement training, community outreach and education, and mapping projects.

RESOURCES

An Illegal Dumping Prevention Guidebook (PDF) (33pp, 1.1MB, March 1998) (EPA 905-B-97-001, March 1998) was developed to present the nature of the illegal dumping problem and summarize lessons learned from collaborative prevention projects across the United States.

Another product of this effort is the Illegal Dumping Economic Assessment (IDEA) model (PDF) (2pp, 28K, January 2001).The IDEA model is a simple, useful tool to help users understand the total costs associated with illegal dumping and the economic impact on their community. For example, the City of Gary, Indiana, utilized the model to define the extent of the clean up activities necessary to mitigate the illegal dumping problem and propose a comprehensive prevention plan. The following IDEA model resources are available:

IDEA Model Fact Sheet (PDF) (2pp, 28K, January 2001)
IDEA Cost Estimating Model User's Guide (PDF) (53pp, 1.8MB) (EPA 905-B-00-002, June 2000)
IDEA Cost Estimating Model, Version 1.2 (Excel spreadsheet, 314K, April 2003)

YOU CAN HELP!

Share your experiences

If you are currently involved in an illegal dumping prevention effort, please share your experiences and we will create a link to your program's web page or include information about your program in an update to the Illegal Dumping Prevention Guidebook.

If you would like to share your experiences or would like additional information regarding the illegal dumping prevention project, please contact:

Mary Setnicar (setnicar.mary@epa.gov) 312-886-0976
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5
77 West Jackson Boulevard (DW-8J)
Chicago, IL 60604