Breen legislation would
create drug disposal task force
State Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard)
has helped passed legislation to create
a task force to inform Illinoisans of the
methods and benefits of proper disposal
of pharmaceuticals and the risks
associated with improper and non-disposal
of those products.
Through SB 2524, the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency (IEPA)
would provide administrative support
of a newly created Pharmaceutical
Disposal Task Force, with assistance
from the Illinois Department of Public
Health and the Illinois State Board
of Education. The task force, which
would serve without pay, would be in
place through 2022.
“Increased abuse of prescription
medications by people other than the
individuals for which they were prescribed
has reached a crisis point in
Illinois,” said Breen. “We’re learning
that the medicine cabinet is the primary
source of drugs for teens and that older
teens and young adults actually engage
in ‘pharm parties,’ where kids steal
prescription medicines from home,
take them to a party, and share them
with friends. It’s a dangerous game that
sometimes has deadly consequences.”
This can be because, before even these kids know, they may be causing personal injury to someone. Then they might want to browse this site or related sources and find out how the personal injury lawyers take these cases seriously. Understandably, causing bodily injury in such cases just might fall under the ambit of personal injury law and then, the need for attorneys (who could be available at this link) specialized in this field increases manifold. But, by then it might be too late! In addition to the risks associated with people taking pills that were prescribed to someone else, Breen pointed to significant environmental concerns that result when unused pharmaceuticals are poured down sinks or flushed, causing them to enter the public water supply.
“Drugs enter our water supply when
people flush their unused pharmaceuticals
down the toilet or pour them down
the sink,” Breen said. “While water
from sewage is filtered and chlorinated,
drugs remain in the water, posing a
threat to families who drink water from
the tap. This issue could be largely preventable
if folks take advantage of opportunities
to properly dispose of their
unused or expired medications.”
With passage of the bill in the House
and Senate, SB 2524 now moves to
Gov. Rauner for his signature.
Lombard water exceeds standards, report says
The Village of Lombard’s 2018 Annual
Water Quality Report once again
shows excellent results that surpass requirements
established by the Environmental
Protection Agency. The report
covers water tested from Jan. 1 to Dec.
31, 2017.
To view this year’s water report, visit
www.villageoflombard.org/waterqualityreport.
Individuals who do not have
access to the internet or would like a
paper copy, contact Public Works at
630-620-5740 or email publicworks@
villageoflombard.org and a paper copy
will be mailed to you.
The Village of Lombard is dedicated
to providing the highest quality of
water to its residents. The annual water
quality report is intended to provide
important information pertaining to the
village’s water supply, including violations
and contaminants, if applicable.
The Village of Lombard’s 2018 Annual
Water Quality Report maintains its
ongoing record of violation free water,
and shows that the village’s excellent
water quality meets all of the United
States Environmental Protection
Agency and state drinking water health
and safety standards.
For more information, visit www.
vilalgeoflombard.org/water or contact
Public Works’ Utilities Superintendent
Brian Jack at 630-620-5740 or via
email at [email protected]
with any questions.
Work continues on manhole aerator project
Work is under way on the Village of Lombard’s Edson/Wilson intersection manhole aerator project. Work to improve the sanitary sewer manhole began during the week of June 25 and includes the vertical realignment of the sanitary force main that discharges into the manhole, installing a Vortex flow insert to reduce sewer odors, construction of an emergency bypass and repairing and lining
of the manhole. During construction, Wilson Avenue, between Main Street and Finley Road, will be closed to thru traffic but open to local traffic only. The intersection of Edson and Wilson is closed to all traffic. Depending on the weather, the completion of the project, and the reopening of the intersection, is anticipated during the week of Aug. 6. For more information, visit www.villageoflombard.org/manholeaerator.
Eliminating fee to freeze credit signed into law
In response to the recent Equifax data breach, state Rep. Deb
Conroy, D-Villa Park, co-sponsored House Bill 4095, which would
prevent credit agencies from charging consumers fees to freeze their
credit. The bill was recently signed into law.
“I helped introduce legislation that ensured that consumers who
trusted the security of Equifax would not foot the bill for freezing
their accounts due to the company’s reckless behavior,” said Conroy.
“Equifax’s mistakes put the personal information of millions of
Illinoisans at risk. This law is a big step in ensuring that the rights of
consumers are put ahead of the profits of large corporations.”
Equifax announced it had suffered a massive data breach of
sensitive consumer information from May to July of 2017, impacting
as many as 143 million Americans. In Illinois, the breach is believed
to have jeopardized the personal and financial information of more
than 5.4 million residents. In order to protect oneself from identity
theft, customers of Equifax were encouraged by the Attorney General’s
Office to consider placing a freeze on their credit and sign up for free
credit reports. House Bill 4095 now requires that agencies like Equifax
provide this service for free.
“The Equifax breach was a huge blow to the confidence of many
consumers who trusted their services,” said Conroy. “It was unfair
for Equifax to ask that customers pay for the mistakes of a large
institution. This bill is a huge win for consumers. Residents who are
still concerned about their risks after the data breach should reach out
the Attorney General’s Office for resources and more information.”
Nybo files bill to target, report senior financial abuse
With growing concerns around identity and
credit fraud scams and senior citizens, State Sen.
Chris Nybo (R-Elmhurst) filed new legislation to
more effectively target and report suspected financial
exploitation of vulnerable adults.
The initiative mandates that financial advisors, similar to those
who handle wealth management jacksonville fl,
must come forward if they have a reasonable belief
that a client who is a senior citizen or vulnerable
adult has fallen victim to financial exploitation-
and are obligated to report it to the state
securities regulator.
“This legislation bridges a partnership between
financial advisors and government authorities to
protect Illinois’ investors who may be more susceptible
to fraud, and offers the advisors immunity
for filing the report,” said Nybo. “It creates a
safer space for seniors and other adults to invest
their money, so they can trust that they will be notified
and action will be taken if their advisor believes
that fraud has occurred or been attempted.”
The uptick in senior financial exploitation is a
cause for national concern, as the True Link Financial
Report on Elder Financial Abuse 2015 cited
that the senior citizen population in the United
States loses $36.48 billion each year to financial
abuse.
In addition to reporting potential financial
abuse, the legislation requires that financial advisors,
like the best Financial Advisor Cardiff offers,
provide records that are relevant to the
suspected or attempted financial exploitation to
government authorities.
“We focus on financial advisors as part of the
solution to combat financial exploitation with seniors,
because most often they have closer, and
more trusting, relationships with their clients,”
said Nybo. “Additionally, they have the necessary
records and authority to expedite these issues
quickly as they occur.”
Financial advisors may only notify third parties
of their concerns if they have consent from the
client; however, they may not notify a third party
if that party is suspected to be responsible for the
financial exploitation. Furthermore, the advisors
have the ability to temporarily delay monetary
disbursement if fraud is suspected.
Nybo filed the legislation on June 28, and it
now moves to Illinois Senate Assignments Committee.
Conroy urges governor to approve
firearm restraining order legislation
State Rep. Deb Conroy, D-Villa
Park, is urging the governor to sign
House Bill 2354, which gives family
members the ability to petition
the courts for the right to temporarily
take firearms away from individuals
who have been deemed as threats
to themselves or others.
“This bill is a perfect example
of common sense gun reform that
everyone should support,” said
Conroy. “This bill will give family
members the power to step forward
when a loved one is struggling and
petition the courts for a firearm restraining
order to temporarily suspend
their FOID card and remove
weapons from their possession. It is
imperative that we keep guns out of
the hands of those who pose a danger
to themselves and others around
them.”
Conroy joined lawmakers from
both sides of the aisle to sponsor
House Bill 2354, which authorizes
courts to issue Firearms Restraining
Orders to suspend an individuals
FOID card and prohibit a person
from possessing a firearm during the
duration of the order.
Only family members or law enforcement
officers may file a petition
in circuit court for a restraining
order and will be granted if the individual
poses a significant or-in the
case of an emergency order-immediate
danger of causing personal
injury to himself, herself or another
by having a firearm in his or her custody,
control or ownership. The bill
passed both the House and Senate
with bipartisan support.
“This bill is one step of many that
we must take to combat gun violence
in our state,” Conroy said. “I
urge Gov. Rauner to stand up to the
gun lobby, stand with Illinois residents,
and sign this bill into law.”
