(WTTW News)
Last year, Chicago’s City Council took a stand against private trash haulers illegally operating during the designated quiet hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. – passing an ordinance giving new enforcement power to the Department of Streets and Sanitation in hopes of curbing the noisy, disruptive practice.
Eight months after the measure was approved, Streets and San has yet to write a single ticket, despite receiving reports about dozens of scofflaws from sleepless Chicagoans.
According to a log obtained by WTTW News, the department received 56 complaints about illegal pickups just between January and June of this year. The complaints cover the North, South, and West Sides of the city, with haulers reportedly at work as early as midnight.
It’s been a longstanding quality of life issue for Chicagoans that WTTW News has been reporting since last June. One Lakeview resident complained of trucks making pre-dawn runs for decades. A WTTW News analysis found private haulers were hit with just five tickets for illegal pickups over a two-year period, despite scores of complaints.
But there hasn’t always been a clear path for complaints, tracking and enforcement, with residents variously turning to 311, 911, or their local alderperson’s office. That’s why Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st Ward) backed an ordinance last year giving the Department of Streets and Sanitation the power to cite companies for pickups during quiet hours, tickets that could previously only be issued by the Chicago Police Department.
The measure also gave DSS the power to demand truck tracking data from companies that are the subject of resident complaints to confirm the illegal runs without having to catch them in the act.
The ordinance cleared the City Council in November and took immediate effect. Asked why Streets and San has yet to take advantage of its new enforcement powers, the department told WTTW News it worked to get the ordinance passed because it views noise complaints as an important issue – but that it’s been trying to get the proper workflow in place since the measure was approved.
“DSS has been coordinating with city partners to create a new process to track complaints more efficiently and issue violations to offenders where warranted,” a department spokesperson said in a statement. “Currently, 311 codes all noise complaints under the same general category, and to better track, DSS has requested a new code specifically for this type of noise.”
The companies that most frequently appeared in the log obtained by WTTW News are Waste Management and Flood Brothers, both of which have been the subject of previous pre-dawn complaints. Also dinged were Independent Recycling Services, Lakeshore Recycling Systems, Mahoney Environmental and Republic Services.
“Waste Management of Illinois, Inc. (WM) has made changes in our routes and continues to adjust our service times to follow the noise ordinance requirements,” a spokesperson told WTTW News. “Our top priority is to service these locations in a safe manner.”
“At Republic Services, we prioritize addressing community concerns and taking all complaints seriously. We are actively working in close collaboration with city officials, ward superintendents, inspectors, and the Department of Streets and Sanitation,” a company spokesperson said. “In response to any complaints we receive, we are committed to implementing necessary measures to ensure compliance and minimize any inconvenience. Our goal is to provide the best possible service while respecting the needs and regulations of the communities we serve.”
Flood Brothers, IRS, LRS, and Mahoney did not respond to requests for comment.
As for when angry residents can expect DSS to take enforcement action, the department spokesperson said its new 311 code for complaints about private haulers is in the works: “We are beta testing the new procedure now, and working with (the Chicago Department of) Law on finalizing the violation issuance process, with the goal of launching a complete program in the next few weeks.”
Contact Nick Blumberg: [email protected] | (773) 509-5434 | @ndblumberg
