Little blockage surfacing with state’s new drain-cleaner law

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Updated: March 19, 2012 1:59AM

Area customers haven’t been complaining about a new state law that, at times, backs up checkout lines, hardware stores report.

A new law regulating industrial-strength drain cleaner requires the purchasers of such cleaners show identification and fill out a log with their name, address, date and time of purchase, brand, product name and weight.

On Jan. 1, Public Act 097-0565 went into effect.

Violations of the law are punishable by fines of $150 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense and $1,500 for the third and subsequent violations during a 12-month period.

The extra paperwork required by the new law is intended to aid police in tracking individuals who commit crimes using dangerous chemicals.

There are no hardware stores in Burr Ridge and Brookhaven Market, the local grocery store, don’t sell heavy-duty drain cleaners.

“It hasn’t been too bad for us,” said Scott Enke, a manager at Village True Value Hardware in Western Springs. “We’re actively going along with the new law.

“All of our caustic chemicals are marked. If someone purchases one, it will flag it at the register. The cashier asks to see an ID and then fills out the necessary information.”

Enke said shoppers have been cooperative.

“I have not heard one negative word from anybody at our store. When you tell them what it’s for, they’re pretty compliant,” he said. “So far, they’re fine with it.”

Customers also have stepped in line at the Ace Hardware store in LaGrange Park, said assistant manager Ken Koren.

“Since Jan. 2, we’ve sold 60-70 bottles of drain opener, and we’ve had no complaints from customers,” Koren said. “We sell a lot of it and have signs posted about the new law, and people are abiding by it.”

While the registration slows down the check-out process, Koren said the store didn’t consider eliminating caustic chemicals from shelves to avoid the hassle as some larger chains have done.

“It never even crossed our mind. It’s a commodity we sell very much of, and people expect us to have it,” Koren said. “It’s just another step in the transaction process.”

That is not the case, however, in another nearby community. The law has annoyed customers at Olson Ace Hardware in Franklin Park.

At Olson Ace, 10135 Grand Ave., customers haven’t been happy with the state law, said owner Dan Olson.

“They definitely are not embracing the new law,” Olson said. “The law wasn’t really communicated that well to the public.

“They don’t understand why they have to show photo ID and signature and list exactly what they bought.”

Staff writers Mark Lawton and Sandy Bosch contributed,