Hazardous waste disposal limited, but Naperville drop-off staying open

Kane County residents will still have a place to dispose of their old oil, batteries and other hazardous waste, but it will require a bit more effort on their part.

State funding once taken away from the household hazardous waste drop-off facility in Naperville has been restored, county and Naperville officials said Wednesday.

The future of the facility was in jeopardy as recently as last month as the state swept several funds in putting together budget proposals. The Naperville facility, the largest in the region, is behind Fire Station No. 4 at 1979 Brookdale Road.

Beth Lang, strategic services manager for Naperville's Public Works Department, said she recently received official word from that state that it will be "business as usual" for the facility for the next year.

If anything, the facility may see more business than usual as almost all funding for popular, local single-day collection events for household hazardous waste has been eliminated, according to Gary Mielke, who oversees Kane County's solid waste disposal. That means residents who need to dispose of hazardous materials, such as old prescription drugs, will need to take them to Naperville to avoid contaminating the environment. Currently, there is no closer drop-off point for Kane County residents.

"We hoped for some new drop-off locations," Mielke said. "That won't happen this year."