Will County staff told the Land Code Committee on Oct. 1 that Waste Management has begun addressing recurring litter complaints near the county landfill and will submit a proposal for further action at the November meeting.
The issue matters to nearby residents and county officials because trash along roadways can spread across multiple townships and because committee members said the landfill’s truck traffic likely contributes to the problem.
County staff reported they relayed complaints from committee members (including concerns raised by Mr. Butler, Mr. Van Dyne and Mr. Richmond) to Waste Management. Staff said the company began work on Old River Road and agreed to an inspection schedule and pickups: inspections once a week and roadside pickups every two weeks, and that pickups began the prior Friday. Staff said they asked Waste Management to notify county land-use staff after each pickup so county inspectors can verify the work.
Staff reported surveillance data collected by county personnel shows the lion’s share of litter appears along roads approaching from the east. County staff and committee members discussed options to reduce roadside litter, including asking Waste Management to require trucks to follow a single designated approach route to the landfill, performing a traffic “gap” study to evaluate safety and queueing on a proposed route, and working with the sheriff’s office on enforcement and training.
Speaker comments referenced a state law enacted Jan. 1 that allows law-enforcement officers to detain a truck with inadequate tarping and imposes fines; staff summarized the statute as creating two fines (a $150 fine for the driver and a $150 fine for the owner) and authority for officers to hold vehicles until tarps are secured. Committee members discussed whether fines or their allocation provide sufficient enforcement incentive for local deputies.
Committee members asked for more data: which approach routes carry the most trucks, counts of litter at specific segments, and a feasibility analysis of a dedicated truck route (the speaker noted the difference between a roughly 7.1-mile and a 3.1-mile route). Staff said Waste Management has agreed to provide a formal proposal and that staff will bring a draft solution back at the November meeting.
No formal county ordinance or new penalty was adopted at the meeting; the committee’s action was to request a written proposal and implementation plan from Waste Management and for staff to consult with public-safety partners on enforcement options.