Village Officials Weigh in on Emerald Ash Borer Plan

In an effort to combat the widespread epidemic of the emerald ash borer in Northern Illinois, Lemont officials are considering an ordinance that would allow the village to remove infested trees that are deemed hazardous to the public.

Lemont Public Works Director Ralph Pukula provided village officials with a tentative plan to cope with the tree-killing beetle during the villlage's committee of the whole meeting Monday night.

According to the Department of Agriculture, the emerald ash borer is a small, metallic green pest whose larvae feeds under the bark of ash trees, cutting off nutrient flow essential for a healthy . It has been found in several states from the east coast to the Midwest, and in June 2006 it was discovered in a residential neighborhood in Kane County.

Pukula was notified late last year that the insect was found in more than 20 ash trees on private property in the 500 block of 6th Street. The infestation was confirmed Nov. 2 by the Illinois Department of Agriculture during a statewide trap survey, he said. 

Although the infested trees are located on private property and have been quarantined, they are still a major concern for the village and its ash tree population—estimated to be about 10,000 across all of Lemont, including the quarry area.

Pukula said the issue is particularly troublesome because of how expensive ash trees can be to treat or remove. To treat trees chemically, Pukula estimated an annual cost between $100 and $200 per tree. Removing infested trees would likely cost between $300 and $500, he said.

At this time, the village is not proposing the pre-emptive removal of ash trees, Pukula said. He and village arborist Chuck Stewart are recommending a "wait and see" approach, meaning the village would leave the ash trees until ash borers have been confirmed and the health of the tree has declined to 50 percent—when the tree is typically deemed as hazardous.

However, an ordinance was proposed Monday night that would give the village the power to remove hazardous trees from private property if the property owner fails to do after proper notification.

Should the Illinois Department of Agriculture confirm the emerald ash borer on private property, it is the responsibility of the property owner to remove the trees and cover the cost. The village is responsible for trees on parkways and other public areas, Pukula said.

The village will only intervene if a resident fails to remove hazardous trees on his or her land after receiving multiple notices.

Pukula said passing the ordinance would give the Public Works Department the authority to step in if the infestation becomes a matter of public safety.

"I can't really see us enforcing this unless the trees are deemed hazardous and they need to come down," he said.

The village's attorney, Jeff Stein, said the ordinance only addresses the issue of falling trees, not the spread of the emerald ash borer.

Lemont joins a list of more than 80 locations in Cook County and hundreds across the state that have had confirmed sightings since 2006. As a result of widespread infestation, all or parts of 23 northeast Illinois counties are currently quarantined, state officials said.

"What we're doing is not just happening in the village of Lemont, this is the entire state of Illinois and specifically the six-county area (that we fall in)," Mayor Brian Reaves said Monday. "We need to start preparing for this problem and making sure we can work with the property owners if something is found. This ordinance will give us the ability to do something if we need to."

Village trustees will vote to approve the emerald ash borer ordinance at their next business meeting.