EPA's Earth Day Challenge: Collect 1 Million Pills and 1 Million Pounds of
E-Waste to Help Protect the Great Lakes
CHICAGO, April 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National
Program Manager and Regional Administrator Mary A. Gade, Illinois EPA Director
Doug Scott, Chicago Environment Commissioner Suzanne Malec-McKenna and Lyman
Welch of the Alliance for the Great Lakes today joined together at the John G.
Shedd Aquarium to urge Chicagoans to participate in EPA's Great Lakes Earth
Day Challenge. EPA's goal is to collect at least 1 million pounds of
electronics or "e-waste" and 1 million pills during Earth Month to keep
contaminants out of the Great Lakes.
"Last summer, we saw an outpouring of support from thousands of people in the
Great Lakes area who were concerned about pollution," said Regional
Administrator Gade. "This Earth Day Challenge is another way for all those
people -- and many more just like them -- to show they care. One person can
make a difference for the Great Lakes by recycling unwanted electronics and
properly disposing of medicines. Doing this will help prevent contaminants
from polluting the Great Lakes."
So far, more than 125 communities, organizations and businesses across the
Great Lakes basin have stepped up and responded to the challenge by sponsoring
collections. EPA is providing more than $500,000 in grants to help fund 26
collections in eight states. This includes last Saturday's collection at DeVry
University and the upcoming collection on Saturday at Goose Island, which is
co-sponsored by the City, Illinois EPA and the Alliance.
The public is encouraged to bring unused or expired prescription and
non-prescription drugs, inhalers and mercury thermometers for free and proper
disposal to the Chicago Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling facility at
Goose Island at 1150 N. North Branch St.
"Protecting and preserving the Great Lakes and all our natural resources will
take government agencies, non profit organizations and individuals all doing
their part," said Commissioner Malec-McKenna. "The City of Chicago
understands the seriousness of water quality and safety and we'll look to
expand ways that Chicagoans can dispose of electronics and prescription drugs
safely."
"The benefit of the Goose Island collection is two-fold. It gives Chicagoans a
chance to do a little spring cleaning to get rid of unwanted medicines while
helping to protect Lake Michigan, one of our greatest natural assets," said
IEPA Director Scott. "Today, we're hoping people make a pledge to get out of
the habit of flushing their unwanted medicines and in to the habit of doing
the environmentally responsible thing by bringing their unused drugs to the
collection."
The Great Lakes are an irreplaceable treasure. They are the largest source of
fresh drinking water on earth and vital to commerce and recreation in the
upper Midwest.
"Flushing unwanted medicines down toilets leads to potential contamination of
the Great Lakes and drinking water supplies," said Mr. Welch, Water Quality
Program manager for the Alliance. "Disposing of unused and expired medicines
through collection programs is a responsible step everyone can take now to
prevent water pollution at the source."
EPA and Earth911 have established a clearinghouse of collection events
throughout the Great Lakes basin. It provides details about 23 collection
events in the greater Chicago metropolitan area and northern Illinois. To find
out about collection events, go to the Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge Web
site http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/earthday2008.
Also, anyone can go to EPA's blog and share ideas:
http://flowoftheriver.epa.gov/greatlakeschallenge
SOURCE U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5
Anne Rowan of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5,
+1-312-353-9391, rowan.anne@epa.gov
