summary

              Illinois August 1998
Environmental
Protection Agency
Bureau of Land
1021 North Grand Ave. East
Box 19276
Springfield, Ill. 62794-9276
IEPA/BOL/98-008
Nonhazardous
Solid Waste
Management
And
Landfill Capacity
In Illinois
1996
Illinois
Environmental
Protection Agency
Nonhazardous
Solid Waste Management
And Landfill Capacity
In Illinois: 1996
This report has been prepared for Gov. Jim Edgar and the 90th General Assembly
in accordance with Section 4 of the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act.
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Bureau of Land
Division of Land Pollution Control
Solid Waste Management Section
1021 North Grand Ave. East
Box 19276
Springfield, Ill. 62794-9267
Printed on recycled paper.
Reporting period for waste disposal: Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 1996
Reporting period for landfill capacity: Jan. 1, 1997
Additional Information
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996viii
How to Obtain Additional Information
To learn more about municipal solid waste landfills,
transfer stations or compost facilities in Illinois, please
call 217-785-8604, or write to:
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Bureau of Land
Solid Waste Management Section
Box 19276
Our Internet address is http://www.epa.state.il.us
When using courier services (UPS, Airborne, etc.),
please use the following street address and zip code:
1021 North Grand Ave. East
Springfield, Ill. 62702
Acknowledgements
This document is produced by the Illinois Environmen-tal
Protection Agency; Mary A. Gade, director; and is
published by the Agency’s Office of Public Information,
Dennis McMurray, manager.
Illinois EPA Bureau of Land personnel contributed their
time and expertise to the development of this publica-tion.
Especially diligent in checking and rechecking
thousands of details and endless minutia was Ellen
Gambach, of the Solid Waste Management Section.
The Office of Public Information also wishes to thank
the Bureau of Air for providing computer hardware and
software support essential to the successful completion
of this publication.
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996vv
Preface
SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN 1970, THE ILLINOIS EPA
has overseen the development and operation of a
productive system of modern sanitary landfills. The
Agency sees to it that these facilities meet the strictest
disposal standards in history, and that they are engi-neered
to be fully protective of human health and the
environment, especially where it concerns any possibility
of groundwater contamination.
Although the number of active landfills in Illinois dipped
to 57 in 1996, and their total capacity declined during
that year, their ability to absorb municipal wastes
remained at a level ensuring there will be no landfill
capacity crisis in Illinois, either now or in the foreseeable
future.
This is the Agency’s 10th annual report on landfill dispos-al
and available landfill capacity in Illinois. And I am
happy to tell you that even if landfill development and
expansion were to come to a halt (a truly unlikely
prospect), sufficient capacity exists to handle the state’s
requirements for landfill disposal of nonhazardous solid
waste for the next 10 years.
Additionally, state government, seeking to avoid potential
crises, has asked all Illinois counties to adopt well-con-ceived
plans to accommodate their future disposal needs.
All of these activities are reflected in this publication.
We hope you will find this information useful and instruc-tive,
and we welcome your comments and suggestions as
to how we may improve upon this effort.
Mary A. Gade
Director
Contents
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996vvii
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Region One: Northwestern Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R1.1
Region Two: Chicago Metropolitan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R2.1
Region Three: Peoria/Quad Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R3.1
Region Four: East Central Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R4.1
Region Five: West Central Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R5.1
Region Six: Metropolitan East St. Louis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R6.1
Region Seven: Southern Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R7.1
Appendix A:Solid Waste Landfill Owners and Operators: Alphabetic by Facility . . . . . . . . . . A1
Appendix B:Solid Waste Landfill Owners and Operators: Alphabetic by County . . . . . . . . . . B1
Appendix C:Solid Waste Landfills Ranked by Wastes Received: 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1
Appendix D:Solid Waste Landfills Ranked by Remaining Capacities; as of Jan. 1, 1997 . . . . D1
Appendix E:Solid Waste Transfer Station Owners and Operators: Alphabetic by Facility . . . E1
Appendix F: Solid Waste Transfer Station Owners and Operators: Alphabetic by County . . . F1
Appendix G: Landscape Waste Compost Facility Owners and Operators: Alphabetic by County . .G1
Appendix H:Contact List for Solid Waste Management Plans: Alphabetic by County . . . . . . H1
Appendix I: Adoption Dates and Updates for Solid Waste Management Plans:
Alphabetic by County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I1
Tables
Illinois Landfills: Wastes Accepted in 1996 Versus 1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Illinois Landfills: Remaining Capacities Jan. 1, 1997, Versus Jan. 1, 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Wastes Disposed and Landfill Capacity Per Capita; Landfill Life Expectancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Landfill Capacity Is Abundant Despite Dwindling Number of Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Potential Capacity Increases Since Jan. 1, 1997: Expansions at Existing Facilities . . . . . . . . . .9
Potential Capacity Increases Since Jan. 1, 1997: New or Reopened Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Solid Waste Transfer Stations: Wastes Handled 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Landscape Waste Compost Facilities: Wastes Accepted 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Inspections Conducted in 1996 by Delegated Counties and City of Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Administrative Regions (map) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Region One: Landfills and Transfer Stations (map depicting capacity gains or losses) . . . . R1.2
Region One: Landfills: Wastes Accepted 1996; Remaining Capacities Jan. 1, 1997 . . . . . . R1.3
Region One: Transfer Stations: Wastes Handled 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R1.4
Region One: Compost Facilities: Wastes Accepted 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R1.5
Region One: Municipal Wastes Recycled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R1.5
Region Two: Landfills and Transfer Stations (map depicting capacity gains or losses) . . . . R2.2
Region Two: Landfills: Wastes Accepted 1996; Remaining Capacities Jan. 1, 1997 . . . . . . R2.3
Region Two: Compost Facilities: Wastes Accepted 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R2.4
Region Two: Cook County Transfer Stations (map) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R2.5
Region Two: Chicago Transfer Stations (map) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R2.6
Region Two: Transfer Stations: Wastes Handled 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R2.7
Region Two: Municipal Wastes Recycled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R2.8
Region Three: Landfills and Transfer Stations (map depicting capacity gains or losses) . . . R3.2
Region Three: Landfills: Wastes Accepted 1996; Remaining Capacities Jan. 1, 1997 . . . . R3.3
Region Three: Transfer Stations: Wastes Handled 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R3.4
Region Three: Compost Facilities: Wastes Accepted 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R3.5
Region Three: Municipal Wastes Recycled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R3.5
Region Four: Landfills and Transfer Stations (map depicting capacity gains or losses) . . . . R4.2
Region Four: Landfills: Wastes Accepted 1996; Remaining Capacities Jan. 1, 1997 . . . . . R4.3
Region Four: Transfer Stations: Wastes Handled 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R4.4
Region Four: Compost Facilities: Wastes Accepted 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R4.4
Region Four: Municipal Wastes Recycled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R4.5
Region Five: Landfills and Transfer Stations (map depicting capacity gains or losses) . . . . R5.2
Region Five: Landfills: Wastes Accepted 1996; Remaining Capacities Jan. 1, 1997 . . . . . . R5.3
Region Five: Transfer Stations: Wastes Handled 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R5.4
Region Five: Compost Facilities: Wastes Accepted 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R5.4
Region Five: Municipal Wastes Recycled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R5.5
Region Six: Landfills and Transfer Stations (map depicting capacity gains or losses) . . . . . R6.2
Region Six: Landfills: Wastes Accepted 1996; Remaining Capacities Jan. 1, 1997 . . . . . . . R6.3
Region Six: Transfer Stations: Wastes Handled 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R6.4
Region Six: Compost Facilities: Wastes Accepted 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R6.5
viiivNonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996vix
Tables
Region Six: Municipal Wastes Recycled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R6.5
Region Seven: Waste Disposal and Remaining Capacity Compared, 1996 vs. 1995 . . . . . R7.2
Region Seven: Landfills: Wastes Accepted 1996; Remaining Capacities Jan. 1, 1997 . . . . R7.3
Region Seven: Transfer Stations: Wastes Handled 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R7.4
Region Seven: Compost Facilities: Wastes Accepted 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R7.4
Region Seven: Municipal Wastes Recycled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R7.5
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996vxi
Executive Summary
THIS IS THE ILLINOIS EPA’S 10TH ANNUAL REPORT
describing the management of nonhazardous munic-ipal
solid waste by the state’s solid-waste landfills
and transfer stations. The report is divided into sections
representing Illinois EPA administrative regions.
Each regional section includes newly designed specifica-tion
pages describing the chief physical characteristics of
each landfill; its location and hours of operation; tipping
fee; quantities of wastes received (in gate cubic yards,
tons and tons per day) for the last three years; the land-fill’s
certified remaining capacity (in gate cubic yards and
tons) for the last two reporting periods; solid waste man-agement
fees paid in 1996; which Agency regional field
office or delegated local authority inspects the facility;
and the name, address and phone number of the landfill’s
owner and operator.
Similar but scaled-down specification pages are included
for each transfer station. In all, this report includes
details of 77 landfills and 66 transfer stations.
Illinois municipal solid waste landfills are required to
report to the Illinois EPA the quantities of solid wastes
they receive each year, and to calculate and report the
amount of remaining capacity existing on the first day of
the following year.
During 1996, 57 landfills reported receiving 46,134,206
gate cubic yards of waste. This volume was 989,956 gate
cubic yards less than the total received during 1995, or a
2.1-percent decline.
As of Jan. 1, 1997, 57 landfills reported having a com-bined
remaining capacity of 411,909,000 gate cubic yards,
or 61,903,000 gate cubic yards less than on Jan. 1, 1996,
a drop of 13.1 percent.
Dividing wastes disposed during 1996 by capacity
remaining on Jan. 1, 1997, indicates a landfill life
expectancy in Illinois of 8.9 years, at 1996 disposal rates,
barring capacity adjustments, until capacity is depleted.
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996v 1
Introduction
Nonhazardous
Solid Waste Management
And Landfill Capacity
1996
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE IS THE TERM USED TO
describe all the garbage that’s discarded by
America’s households, stores, offices, factories,
restaurants, schools and other institutions. Included in
the definition of solid waste are semisolid, liquid or con-tained
gaseous materials generated by industrial, com-mercial,
mining or agricultural operations. Sludges from
water-supply or waste-treatment plants or air-pollution-control
facilities are examples of semisolids.
Whether it’s called garbage or solid waste, we Americans
generate a lot of it — about 208 million tons a year,
according to U.S. EPA statistics. That much waste equals
the combined weight of the 130 million passenger cars
registered in the United States in 1996.
In Illinois, about 18.5 million tons
How much municipal solid waste do Illinoisans generate?
In 1996, Illinois landfills accepted nearly 14 million net
tons of solid waste. We say net because county recycling
coordinators claim about a quarter of all wastes were
recycled, meaning this portion was not landfilled.
Recycling coordinators place total generated wastes at
about 13.4 million tons. But this total does not take recy-cling
into account. What’s needed is a higher generated-waste
total combined with a recycling rate that will yield
about 14 million tons of solid waste going to landfills.
Several combinations are possible. A conservative, yet
reasonable, estimate suggests that Illinoisans likely gen-erated
about 18.5 million tons of solid waste, of which
maybe 18 percent was recycled, in 1996.
Wastes entering and leaving the state are not believed to
affect this equation. Of all solid wastes landfilled in
Illinois in 1996, 9.6 percent, or about 1.3 million tons,
came from out of state.We know this because Illinois
landfills must report these quantities to the Illinois EPA.
However, waste haulers need not report how much
Illinois waste they transport to landfills in other states.
So based on many years of observation, the Agency esti-mates
that solid-waste exports are probably in the same
range as imports, resulting in a wash.
Most of it is landfilled
Where does most solid waste go? Into landfills. The U.S.
EPA’s Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste Man-agement:
1995 Update says that nationwide 61 percent of
solid waste was landfilled, 24 percent was recycled or
2vNonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996
Introduction
America produced
some 208 million tons
of solid waste
in 1996. . . a weight
equal to 130 million
passenger cars
Introduction
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996v3
“Subtitle D Rules” Caused
Drop in Number of Landfills
Federal authority to regulate dispos-al
of municipal solid waste is based
on provisions in Subtitle D of the
Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA). The federal
Clean Air and Clean Water Acts also
affect disposal of these wastes.
In October 1991, the U.S. EPA
developed new and revised landfill
rules that became mandatory for all
state landfill regulatory and permit-ting
programs. These are some-times
known as Subtitle D rules.
Illinois subsequently enacted strict
solid-waste landfill regulations: Parts
807 and 810 through 815 of Title 35
of the Illinois Administrative Code.
Landfills that were operating when
the Subtitle D rules were implement-ed
were forced to choose between
complying with stricter regulations or
closing in the prescribed manner.
Whether it was the effect of tougher
Subtitle D rules, the result of other
business considerations, or a combi-nation
of both, one thing is clear:
between 1992 and 1994, the num-ber
of active landfills in Illinois fell
from 106 to 59 — a drop of 44 per-cent,
as illustrated on page 8.
composted and 15 percent was incinerated. However, in
Illinois, less than 1 percent of solid waste was incinerated,
hence the percentage landfilled was much higher.
OPPONENTS OF LANDFILLING WORRY THAT FACILITIES
will eventually leak, contaminating drinking sup-plies.
Those who design, own or operate landfills
claim they are safe because they must meet the most
stringent construction and operating standards in history.
Early this decade, the U.S. EPA developed regulations
that sought to make landfills as leakproof as current
technology can provide. The regulations also pressed own-ers
to demonstrate their financial ability to safely operate
a landfill over its typical 20-year lifetime, and to assure
the landfill will be properly maintained for at least 30
years following its closure.
In addition to stricter standards, modern landfills come
under the scrutiny of federal, state and local authorities,
the media and many environmental groups. If problems
occur, they are likely to attract much public attention.
A modern sanitary landfill can be likened to an enormous
bathtub into which garbage is placed, and from which
contaminants cannot escape to pollute air or water.
Safe containment of garbage and its byproducts begins
with the landfill liner, which can consist of impermeable
plastic or compacted clay, or both. Depending on local
geology, compacted clay liners can be up to 10 feet thick.
The liner system must ensure that groundwater in the
uppermost aquifer within a specified distance of the land-fill
will meet U.S. drinking-water standards for 24 organ-ic
and inorganic constituents.
Controlling garbage juice. . .
Placed in a bed of gravel atop the liner is a network of
pipes that collect garbage juice known as leachate, which
is pumped out of the landfill for treatment and disposal.
Leachate occurs from rainwater and snow melt seeping
through the garbage, and from compaction and decompo-sition
of solid wastes. Leak detectors placed beneath the
liner warn of any failure of the leachate collection system,
enabling prompt repairs to seal leaks.
Groundwater monitoring wells installed around the land-fill’s
perimeter assure the leachate collection system is
doing its job. The location and number of wells must be
sufficient to determine the background quality of the
groundwater.
Twice a year samples are collected and analyzed for 62
indicator pollutants; these samples are compared with
previously determined background concentrations.
Testing must continue throughout the active life of the
landfill and its postclosure-care period; this testing cycle
can total 50 years or more.
. . . and garbage gas
Provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA) and the Clean Air Act require landfills to
monitor for methane gas atop the landfill and around its
perimeter. Large quantities of methane are produced
when organic materials in garbage decompose. Venting
systems are required to keep this explosive garbage gas
from diffusing undergound or from escaping through
openings in the landfill’s surface.
Sometimes the methane is burned or flared at the land-fill,
but increasingly it is being collected to fuel generators
creating electricity for on-site use or to be sold to local
utilities. (Some landfills have been known to produce
enough electricity to light 5,000 homes for a year.) Of the
77 landfills detailed in this report, 31 are planning, build-ing
or currently operating gas-to-energy systems.
Landfills are developed cell by cell
Landfills are divided into sections called cells, which are
developed as needed, filled systematically (so much so
that specific loads can be located weeks or months later),
and covered with earth or other materials to prevent the
spread of odors and vermin.
Trucks arriving at a landfill are inspected for prohibited
nonhazardous wastes (Illinois bans landfilling of liquid
motor oil, whole tires and landscape wastes), and for haz-ardous
wastes. Loads are weighed and details about them
are recorded. They are then taken to the currently
exposed portion of the active cell, which is known as the
working face.
Trucks empty their loads at the working face, where spe-cially
modified bulldozers spread and compact the waste,
crushing it to eliminate air pockets and squeezing it into
the smallest space possible.
LANDFILLS EARN REVENUES BY CHARGING HAULERS FOR
each ton or cubic yard of waste brought to the land-fill.
Landfills may have a single tipping fee, or sev-eral,
depending upon the type of waste and how much it
can be compacted.
Introduction
4vNonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996
In Number of Landfills,
Illinois Is Just Average
The United States contains 2,893
landfills, according to a 1995 study
conducted by the Environmental
Industry Association, and 2 percent
of these landfills are in Illinois.
Dividing 2,893 by 50 finds the aver-age
number of landfills in each state
to be between 57 and 58.
That certainly makes Illinois aver-age,
as the state had 58 active land-fills
in 1995, and 57 in 1996.
Introduction
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996v5
The more waste that can fit in a cell, the more money the
landfill can earn. Airy wastes can often be compacted to
less than half their transport size; wastes of greater den-sity
may be compacted by only a third; and some wastes,
broken concrete for example, cannot be compacted at all.
In 1996, 57 Illinois landfills accepted more than 46 mil-lion
cubic yards of solid wastes valued at more than $437
million. A ranking of these facilities (Appendix C) finds
the top 11 landfills received 61 percent of wastes. This
unequal distribution of wastes creates a large difference
between an average landfill, which would have accepted
more than 809,000 cubic yards (about 245,000 tons) of
wastes, and a median (middle) landfill, which would have
received some 478,000 cubic yards (about 145,000 tons).
About $1 million per acre
Developing a landfill requires enormous investments in
land and equipment totaling millions of dollars, plus engi-neering
expenses, fees to state and local governments,
taxes, normal operating costs and further millions set
aside for post-closure care. One industry rule of thumb
says it takes about $1 million an acre to design, build,
permit and operate a landfill today.
Some of these expenditures become important sources of
revenue supporting various solid-waste and recycling pro-grams.
State law allows local governments to charge
landfills a solid-waste management fee of $1.27 per ton
on wastes landfilled within their borders. Because these
fees can be spent only on waste-related activities, some
counties have built large surpluses, which can buffer the
effect of future landfill closings.
Landfill Tipping Fees
Landfill tipping fees multiplied by
quantities of waste received provide
a rough measure of earnings of
Illinois landfills in 1996.
Total receipts of the 57 landfills that
accepted wastes in 1996 exceeded
$437 million, or an average of $7.7
million per facility. This total is an
approximation and is for landfilling
only; it does not include income
from other waste-handling opera-tions
or services.
The average tipping fee of 31 land-fills
charging by weight was $27.88
per ton. (Peoria Disposal Co., which
charges $100 a ton for disposal of
hazardous waste, was excluded
determining in this average.)
The average tipping fee of 22 land-fills
charging by volume was $10.75
per cubic yard.
Illinois Landfills: Wastes Accepted in 1996 Versus 1995
Landfills
Accepting 1996 Wastes
Wastes Wastes Accepted, Cu. Yds. Yearly Change Share of
Region 19961 19962 19953 Cu. Yds. Percent State Total
One: Northwestern Illinois 7 3,077,592 1,894,308 +1,183,284 +62.5% 6.7%
Two: Chicago Metropolitan 17 22,788,391 26,122,259 -3,333,242 -12.8 49.4
Three: Peoria/Quad Cities 11 5,555,920 4,899,331 +656,589 +13.4 12.0
Four: East Central Illinois 10 5,947,129 5,897,222 +359,207 +6.4 12.9
Five: West Central Illinois 4 2,452,158 2,070,742 +381,416 +18.4 5.3
Six: Metropolitan East St. Louis 5 4,826,993 4,953,284 -126,291 -2.5 10.5
Seven: Southern Illinois 3 1,486,023 1,596,316 -110,293 -6.9 3.2
Totals 57 46,134,206 47,124,162 -989,956 -2.1
1 Includes facilities that accepted municipal waste for less than full year.
2 Includes 4,418,773 cubic yards of out-of-state wastes (9.6% of state total) accepted by 32 Illinois landfills during 1996.
3 Includes 4,331,520 cubic yards of out-of-state wastes (9.2% of state total) accepted by 35 Illinois landfills during 1995.
Demands for capital and increasing technology require-ments
are among the reasons for the increasing privatiza-tion
of the waste industry. Of the 77 landfills profiled in
this report, 82 percent are privately owned and 92 per-cent
are privately operated.
Section 4 of the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act
requires the Agency to “publish a report regarding the
projected disposal capacity available for solid waste in
sanitary landfills. . . . Such reports shall present the data
on an appropriate regional basis. . . [and] shall include an
assessment of the life expectancy of each site.”
This legislative mandate explains why the main body of
this report is organized by seven Illinois EPA administra-tive
regions, and why landfill capacity and life expectancy
are emphasized in nearby tables and charts, and in text,
tables, map symbology and landfill specification pages in
the regional sections.
THE TABLE ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE SHOWS LANDFILLING
statewide dipped 2.1 percent between 1995 to 1996.
Landfills in Region Two (Metropolitan Chicago)
absorbed nearly half of the state’s municipal solid wastes,
while disposal there fell by more than 3.3 million cubic
yards, or nearly 13 percent. In sharp contrast, landfilling
in Region One (Northwestern Illinois) soared nearly 63
percent, or by 1.2 million cubic yards.
The table below compares landfills’ remaining capacities
in “snapshots” taken Jan. 1, 1996, and Jan. 1, 1997. Total
capacity fell nearly 62 million cubic yards year to year;
58.5 million cubic yards of that loss is from Region Two.
This table also shows, at least at a cursory level, how
Introduction
6vNonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996
Illinois Landfills: Remaining Capacities Jan. 1, 1997, Versus Jan. 1, 1996
Landfills
Reporting 1997Capacity
Capacity Reported Capacity, Cu. Yds. Yearly Change Share of
Region Jan. 1, 1997 Jan. 1, 1997 Jan. 1, 1996 Cu. Yds. Percent State Total
One: Northwestern Illinois 7 68,823,000 71,727,000 -2,904,000 -4.0% 16.7%
Two: Chicago Metropolitan 16 83,331,0001 141,836,000 -58,505,000 -41.2 20.2
Three: Peoria/Quad Cities 11 66,436,000 75,964,000 -9,528,000 -12.5 16.1
Four: East Central Illinois 9 51,335,000 43,156,000 +8,179,000 +19.0 12.5
Five: West Central Illinois 5 68,169,0002 69,397,000 -1,228,000 -1.8 16.5
Six: Metropolitan East St. Louis 6 56,874,000 60,666,000 -3,792,000 -6.3 13.8
Seven: Southern Illinois 3 16,940,000 11,065,000 +5,875,000 +53.1 4.1
Totals 57 411,908,000 473,811,000 -61,903,000 -13.1
1 Includes 1,728,000 cu. yds. at Beecher Development Co. Landfill, which ceased taking waste July 18, 1996, but continues to report capacity.
2 Includes 11,542,000 cu. yds. at Sangamon Valley Landfill, which by court order issued Feb. 27, 1995, is prohibited from accepting wastes.
Gate Cubic Yards and Tons
Illinois landfills are required to report
to the Illinois EPA the quantities of
wastes received during each calen-dar
year. They must also calculate
how much capacity remains avail-able
for future waste disposal.
These figures are submitted to the
Agency on forms that call for
answers in gate cubic yards, or the
volume of waste entering the land-fill’s
gate. Remaining capacities are
expressed as certified gate cubic
yards, meaning that the calculations
have been certified as true and
accurate by a licensed professional
engineer. These numbers will be
found in the landfill specification
pages in each regional section.
The term in-place cubic yard is used
to indicate wastes that have been
compressed to a half or a third or a
quarter of their original volume,
depending on the degree of com-paction
achieved by the landfill.
Gate cubic yards can be difficult to
visualize. To aid reader comprehen-sion,
we have divided gate cubic
yards by an industry standard of 3.3
to achieve approximate tons.
Introduction
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996v7
regional ups and downs bear on the total capacity drop.
One can see the capacity gain in Region Seven being nul-lified
by losses in Regions Five and Six; and similarly the
capacity gain in Region Four being erased by the capacity
loss in Region Three; and finally, how combining capacity
losses in Regions One and Two nearly match the almost
62-million-cubic-yard drop in statewide capacity.
Per capita views alter perspectives
Perhaps even more revealing is the table below, which
views wastes disposed and landfill capacities on a per-capita
basis. This table changes the perspective of Region
Two’s waste consumption from an exceptional 49 percent
to a reasonable fewest-cubic-yards-per-capita (nearly a
cubic yard below the statewide average). Region Two’s
landfill capacity per capita is the lowest of any region;
however, this table warns that the region could run out of
space by the turn of the century unless wastes are land-filled
elsewhere or new capacity is added, or both.
Just as important, this table reveals that remaining
capacities and landfill life expectancies in Illinois are gen-erally
good, especially in Regions One and Five. (Region
Five, even after subtracting 11.5 million gate cubic yards
of capacity tied up in a court-ordered closure of Spring-field’s
Sangamon Valley Landfill, would still lead the
state with 102 cubic yards of capacity per capita and 23
years of landfill life expectancy.)
The charts below illustrate there is no capacity crisis in
Illinois, nor is one likely to occur. They show that while
the number of active landfills fell sharply before leveling
off in 1994, average landfill capacity, with the exception
of the most recent year, has been growing, while quanti-ties
of wastes landfilled have remained in a narrow band
Wastes Disposed and Landfill Capacity Per Capita; Landfill Life Expectancy
Estimated Wastes Disposed, Cu. Yds. Remaining Capacity, Cu. Yds. Landfill Life
Region Population 1996 Per Capita Jan. 1, 1997 Per Capita Years1
One: Northwestern Illinois 770,000 3,077,592 4.0 68,823,000 89.4 22.4
Two: Chicago Metropolitan 7,743,000 22,788,391 2.9 83,331,000 10.8 3.7
Three: Peoria/Quad Cities 763,000 5,555,920 7.3 66,436,000 87.1 12.0
Four: East Central Illinois 850,000 5,947,129 7.0 51,335,000 60.4 8.6
Five: West Central Illinois 556,000 2,452,158 4.1 68,169,000 122.6 27.8
Six: Metropolitan East St. Louis 707,000 4,826,993 6.8 56,874,000 80.4 11.8
Seven: Southern Illinois 438,000 1,486,023 3.4 16,940,000 38.7 11.4
Totals 11,827,000 46,134,206 3.9 411,908,000 34.8 8.9
1 Remaining capacity divided by wastes disposed. Tells how long a region may be served by
local landfills at current disposal rates, barring capacity adjustments, until capacity is depleted.
Introduction
8vNonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996
Landfill Capacity Is Abundant Despite Dwindling Number of Facilities
At the end of each year, Illinois landfills calculate how much waste they can accept in the future. This volume is
known as remaining or available capacity, and is expressed in gate cubic yards, meaning waste received at the
landfill’s gate, before the waste is compacted. One industry rule of thumb says 10 gate cubic yards of waste can be
compressed into 5 compacted cubic yards. Obviously, the greater the compaction, the more waste can be buried.
Tight Regulations Force Cutbacks ...
Active landfills accepting waste each year
Pushing Survivors To Build Capacity
Available landfill space, millions of gate cubic yards
While Disposal Rates Stagnate
Wastes landfilled, millions of gate cubic yards
Average Landfill Capacity Grows ...
Millions of gate cubic yards
146
133
126
117
110
106
83
59 58 57
’87 ’88 ’89 ’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96
180
150
120
90
60
30
31% increase
Tougher laws
take force
51 50
45
44
42
41 41
47 47
46
’87 ’88 ’89 ’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96
60
50
40
30
1.9
2.9 3.1 3.0
3.3 3.5
4.4
6.1
8.2
7.2
’88 ’89 ’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97
9
6
3
0
274
380
390
351
361
372
362
474
412
’88 ’89 ’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97
500
440
380
320
260
200
363
for the past 10 years.
Still, it’s wise to remember, as with investments, past
performance is not an indicator of future results.
Capacity increases since Jan. 1, 1997
In a year that brought a 13-percent drop in landfill capac-ity,
it is not surprising that 46 of 57 Illinois landfills had
less space available on Jan. 1, 1997, than on Jan. 1, 1996.
But as we’ve seen, landfill capacity in Illinois for the most
Introduction
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996v9
part has grown over the past 10 years, and that growth
has come from two sources: expansions of existing facili-ties
and development of new landfills.
To be added to the 411.9 million cubic yards of total
capacity reported by Illinois landfills on Jan. 1, 1997, is
273.8 million cubic yards of potential capacity; of this
total, 145.9 million cubic yards is attributable to expan-sions
at eight existing landfills and 127.9 million cubic
yards to seven new landfills and one reopened facility.
The word potential is emphasized because as you read
this only a fraction of total capacity could be considered
immediately available for waste disposal. Landfill cells
are developed over time, as needed, and as construction
seasons allow. Once this potential capacity becomes avail-able,
the landfills will report it as certified capacity.
The table below lists potential capacity increases at exist-inglandfills
that since Jan. 1, 1997, have received or will
soon receive expansion permits from the Agency.
The table at the bottom of the page 10 provides potential
capacity increases offered by new landfills; three of these
facilities opened in early 1998 and four plan to open in
late 1998 and early 1999.
Capacities listed in this table are for design airspace
since these facilities did not report certified capacity in
gate cubic yards on Jan. 1, 1997. (The lone exception is D
&L Landfill, which was inactive during 1995, 1996 and
most of 1997; its capacity is given in gate cubic yards.)
Airspace includes all wastes and all intermediate cover
(soil or alternative materials spread atop the wastes at
the end of each working day) and the landfill’s final clay
and topsoil cap.
Potential Capacity Increases Since Jan. 1, 1997: Expansions at Existing Facilities
In-Place
Region Landfill Municipality County Cu. Yds.
Two: Chicago Metropolitan Environtech Landfill Morris Grundy 13,000,000
Two: Chicago Metropolitan Morris Community Landfill1 Morris Grundy 1,000,000
Two: Chicago Metropolitan River Bend Prairie Landfill1 Dolton Cook 11,000,000
Three: Peoria/Quad Cities Spoon Ridge Landfill2 Fairview Fulton 75,000,000
Four: East Central Illinois Illinois Landfill Hoopeston Vermilion 15,000,000
Four: East Central Illinois Livingston Landfill Pontiac Livingston 29,000,000
Four: East Central Illinois Macon County Landfill Decatur Macon 1,500,000
Six: East St. Louis Metropolitan Salem Municipal Landfill #2 Salem Marion 404,000
Total 145,004,000
1 Permit review expected to be completed by end of 1998; expansion permits granted to all other landfills.
2 Temporarily ceased taking waste on June 30, 1998; facility expects to reopen in two or three years.
Introduction
10vNonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996
Closings cut capacity. . .
A total of nine landfills shut their gates from early 1996
through mid-1998. Six of these facilities closed with little
or no available capacity; three, however, did not.
Beecher Development Co. Landfill, in Will County, closed
in July 1997; but on Jan. 1, 1997, the facility reported
having 1.7 million cubic yards of capacity remaining.
Henry County Landfill #2 stopped taking wastes in
August 1997, but reported having 1.1 million cubic yards
of capacity, which may never become available should the
facility elect to close permanently.
The operating permit of Watts Landfill, in Rock Island
County, was revoked by the Illinois Pollution Control
Board on Feb. 5, 1998, and the facility ceased accepting
wastes on March 20, 1998. Watts may have had as much
as 1 million cubic yards of capacity remaining, or as little
as 500,000 cubic yards; in either event, it appears unlike-ly
the facility will reopen.
So while most landfills attempt to close only after deplet-ing
all their available capacity, these recent experiences
indicate this is not always so. As we have just seen, three
landfills ceased operations, but it appears they contain
from 3.3 million to 3.8 million cubic yards of available
capacity.
From mid-1998 through the end of 2000, based on projec-tions
reported by the landfills themselves, 14 facilities
expect to close. These closings, by EPA Region, are:
uRegion One — two
uRegion Two — seven
Potential Capacity Increases Since Jan. 1, 1997: New or Reopened Facilities
Design
Opening Airspace1
Region Landfill Municipality County Date Cu. Yds.
One: Northwestern Illinois LandComp Landfill Ottawa LaSalle 1998-992 11,400,000
One: Northwestern Illinois Lee County Landfill Dixon Lee 1998-992 13,000,000
One: Northwestern Illinois Orchard Hills Landfill Davis Junction Ogle 1-12-98 28,000,000
Two: Chicago Metropolitan Zion Landfill Zion Lake 1998-992 12,000,000
Three: Peoria/Quad Cities Peoria City/County Landfill #2 Edwards Peoria 3-9-98 7,500,000
Six: Metropolitan East St. Louis Cottonwood Hills RDF Marissa St. Clair 1998-992 42,000,000
Six: Metropolitan East St. Louis D & L Landfill Greenville Bond 10-31-973 9,000,000
Seven: Southern Illinois Lawrence County Disposal Bridgeport Lawrence 4-1-98 5,000,000
Total 127,900,000
1 Includes space for waste, intermediate or daily cover and cap.
2 Planned
3 Reopened; facility was inactive during 1995 and 1996; capacity is in gate cubic yards.
Introduction
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996v11
uRegion Three — three
uRegion Four — two.
No landfills in Regions Five, Six and Seven expect to
close until 2001 or later.
. . . but the capacity glut continues to grow
While it’s never safe to predict future events, it is possible
to say that projections of capacity losses resulting from
on-going waste disposal and premature landfill closures
— offset by capacity gains coming from landfill expan-sions
and the opening of new facilities — suggest that by
early 1999, available capacity in Illinois could be as high
as 480 million to 500 million cubic yards.
Sharp increases in waste disposal, or premature landfill
closings, or slowdowns in landfill expansions and open-ings
could lower this projection by many millions of cubic
yards.
There currently exists a glut of landfill space that is caus-ing
contractions among the waste industry’s major play-ers.
One of the more surprising examples recently
occurred in Fulton County in west-central Illinois:
Spoon Ridge Landfill, near Fairview, is owned and oper-ated
by a unit of Browning-Ferris Industries Inc. In
December 1997, the Illinois EPA granted Spoon Ridge a
development permit that could allow it to become the
state’s largest landfill. Six months later, Browning-Ferris
announced plans to temporarily close Spoon Ridge for a
period of one to three years as part of a nationwide effort
to control costs.
Company officials said they would use this time to devel-op
necessary infrastructure and waste-hauling contracts
in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin.
Success in these efforts could lead to the reopening of
Spoon Ridge, and its eventual profitability.
Metro Chicago has two-thirds of state’s transfer stations
Key to Spoon Ridge’s return to business is the continued
development of waste transfer stations in Region Two
(Chicago Metropolitan) and elsewhere. Of the state’s 60
active transfer stations, 40 are in Region Two, and 35 of
these are in Cook County.
In 1996, Region Two’s transfer stations handled 6.2 mil-lion
tons of waste; 6.9 million tons of waste was landfilled
in the region that year.
Unlike landfills, transfer stations need not report wastes
Who to Call for Help With
Specific Waste Problems
The Illinois EPA supports a number
of waste-disposal and -recycling
efforts aimed at helping households
and selected institutions safely dis-pose
of household hazardous
waste, scrap tires, leftover paint,
used motor oil, educational haz-ardous
waste, and more.
To obtain the latest information
about these programs, or to learn
the dates, times and locations of
drop-off collections, please call one
of the following:
wDan Rion, at 217-782-9294, con-cerning
household-hazardous-waste
collections and what to do
with waste paint;
wRhett Rossi, at 217-782-9283,
concerning used motor oil and
educational hazardous waste;
wTap Hefley, at 217-524-4655, con-cerning
scrap tires;
wKathleen Davis, at 217-782-9187,
concerning used fluorescent and
high-intensity-discharge lamps.
Introduction
12vNonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996
handled to the Illinois EPA; however, as a public service,
the Agency surveyed these facilities to determine the
level of their waste-handling activities.
The role of transfer stations becomes more important
every year, especially in Region Two, where the number
of active landfills is expected to fall from 17 in 1996, to as
few as eight after the turn of the century. By then the
Active
Region Facilities Tons
One: Northwestern Illinois 5 110,826
Two: Chicago Metropolitan 40 6,179,539
Three: Peoria/Quad Cities 2 11,170
Four: East Central Illinois 5 142,230
Five: West Central Illinois 3 164,864
Six: Metropolitan East St. Louis 2 87,435
Seven: Southern Illinois 3 80,910
Total 60 6,776,974
Transfer Stations: Wastes Handled 1996
Active
Region Facilities Tons
One: Northwestern Illinois 7 48,634
Two: Chicago Metropolitan 20 164,603
Three: Peoria/Quad Cities 6 19,292
Four: East Central Illinois 5 18,034
Five: West Central Illinois 3 7,001
Six: Metropolitan East St. Louis 8 55,971
Seven: Southern Illinois 2 1,536
Total 51 315,071
Compost Facilities: Wastes Accepted 1996
ratio of transfer stations to landfills in the region is likely
to grow to 5:1, or to 6:1 or more.
In 1996, transfer stations handled 6.8 million tons of
trash, or nearly 49 percent of wastes landfilled statewide.
As the number of active landfills falls from 57 in 1996 to
the mid-40s, or even the upper-30s, over the next decade,
the number of transfer stations can be expected to grow,
as will the portion of wastes they will handle.
Composting is growing by 13 percent a year
Landscape wastes were banned from Illinois landfills
beginning July 1, 1990. Since then the number of active
compost facilities has begun to approach the number of
active landfills, and will exceed them in a few years.
As might be expected, composting is most popular in
Introduction
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996v13
Region Two, where 52 percent of the state’s landscape
wastes were processed.
Compost facilities report to the Agency each year the
quantities of wastes accepted. In 1996, the state’s com-post
facilities processed 315,071 tons of landscape wastes,
a 13.4-percent gain over 1995’s total of 277,804 tons.
Landscape wastes processed in 1996 represent only about
2 percent of total wastes landfilled in Illinois that year.
While this percentage is small, it is important to note
that composting kept more than 315,000 tons of wastes
out of landfills; and a ton of waste not landfilled is a ton
of landfill capacity preserved.
Delegated inspection program
The Illinois EPA has delegated inspection authority to 18
counties and the city of Chicago. This program takes
advantage of additional manpower at the local level.
Delegation agreements authorize these agencies to con-duct
many of the duties that would otherwise have to be
performed by the Illinois EPA field office: investigating
suspected violations of land-pollution laws and reports of
open dumping, and inspecting landfills, transfer stations
and compost facilities permitted through the Agency’s
Bureau of Land. Inspections can also include industrial
landfills and monofills (private facilities that do not
accept municipal solid waste).
Nearly 1,200 inspections of pollution-control facilities and
other sites were completed by delegated agencies during
1996. These efforts at the local level stimulate the regu-lated
community to take all necessary steps to comply
with environmental regulations. Also, prompt response by
local authorities does much to curtail open dumping.u
Inspections Conducted in 1996 by Delegated Counties and City of Chicago
Local Active Closed Transfer Compost
Region Agencies Landfills Landfills Stations Facilities Other Total
One: Northwestern Illinois 2 34 16 15 7 21 93
Two: Chicago Metropolitan 6 183 47 149 111 78 568
Three: Peoria/Quad Cities 1 61 16 0 10 0 87
Four: East Central Illinois 2 5 1 0 3 0 9
Five: West Central Illinois 3 62 40 27 39 26 194
Six: Metropolitan East St. Louis 2 45 52 2 24 7 130
Seven: Southern Illinois 4 83 9 7 0 0 99
Totals 20 473 181 200 194 132 1,180
14vNonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois: 1996
Introduction
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Administrative Regions
Region Two:
Chicago Metropolitan
Region One:
Northwestern Illinois
Region Three:
Peoria/
Quad Cities
Region Five:
West Central
Illinois
Region Four:
East Central Illinois
Region Six:
Metropolitan
East St. Louis
Region Seven:
Southern Illinois
JODAVIESS
CARROLL
B U R E A U
L A S A L L E
O G L E
DEKALB
LIVINGSTON
I R O Q U O I S
F O R D
M c L E A N
D e W I T T
M A C O N
PIATT
CHAMPAIGN
DOUGLAS
E D G A R
MOULTRIE
S H E L B Y
CHRISTIAN
MONTGOMERY
MACOUPIN
GREENE
JERSEY
M A D I S O N
ST. CLAIR
MONROE
RANDOLPH
B O N D
C L I N T O N
WASHINGTON
MARION
JEFFERSON
HAMILTON
GALLATIN
SALINE
C L A Y
RICHLAND
LAWRENCE
P E R R Y
U N I O N
MASSAC
JOHNSON
POPE
HARDIN
WILLIAMSON
W H I TE
JACKSON
FRANKLIN
W A Y N E
P I K E
SCOTT
MORGAN S A N G A M O N
MENARD
M A S O N L O G A N
C A S S
SCHUYLER
A D A M S
BROWN
CUMBERLAND
EFFINGHAM
FAYETTE
JASPER
CRAWFORD
WARREN
C O L E S
VERMILION
ROCK ISLAND
M E R C E R
H E N R Y
STARK
MARSHALL
WOODFORD
K N O X
P E O R IA
TAZEWELL
F U L T O N
WARREN
HANCOCK
McDONOUGH
L A K E
McHENRY
K A N E
KENDALL
GRUNDY
K A N K A K E E
W I L L
DUPAGE
C O O K
L E E
WHITESIDE
STEPHENSON
PUTNAM
WINNEBAGO