SR0105 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0105 LRB102 12651 LAW 17990 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), waste rotting in landfills can result in high emissions of methane gas, a precursor gas of the harmful air pollutant tropospheric ozone; additionally, methane is an ignitable gas and a contributor to global warming; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Environmental Council and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency report that there are currently 42 landfills in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The alternative to collecting waste in a landfill is often incinerating waste in a furnace; certain sites in Illinois, such as the site in the city of Clinton, incinerate potentially harmful medical waste only; other sites, such as the site in Sauget, east of St. Louis, incinerate both hazardous and nonhazardous waste; and

WHEREAS, Incinerating waste is often thought to be the remedy to landfills and their harmful by-products; however, burning waste has its own host of malefactors as burning plastics produces toxic substances called dioxins; and

WHEREAS, The World Health Organization notes that dioxins are highly toxic; they can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones, and cause cancer; and

WHEREAS, RecyclingBins.Co.UK notes that gases from incineration cause air pollution and contribute to a phenomenon called acid rain, where the rain's pH balance is askew, which can harm natural wildlife, forestry, aquaponics, and agriculture; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency also notes that ashes of incineration often carry heavy metals and toxins that can make surrounding ground water carcinogenic; and

WHEREAS, Carcinogenic ground water often contains chemical compounds known as nitrates which, when ingested by humans, are converted naturally into nitrites, which can dramatically reduce the blood's ability to carry oxygen; nitrates are especially harmful to children and infants under 6 months; and

WHEREAS, According to the Illinois Environmental Council, Illinois' current recycling programs divert over 7 million tons of useful materials from landfills and save enough energy to heat and light 578,000 homes; additionally, recycling in Illinois reduces water pollution by 21,500 tons of various contaminants and reduces air pollution by 131,000 tons of various contaminants each year; and

WHEREAS, Recycling in our homes, our schools, and our workplaces can help reduce the amount of waste that is transferred to landfill sites; reducing the amount of waste we produce can have positive effects on our communities and our State; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April 19 to April 22, 2021 as Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Week.