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SolutionstoPeoria's

Hazardous Waste Landfill

(Copyright,

611/07)

(Preface :

In previous papers we mainly outlined the extensive dangers of PeoDisposa~

OFF/

Co.'s "hazardous (i .e.

toxic) waste landfill ." This paper focuses on solutions

.

0 62007

STATE OF IL

PROBLEM

in an extremely

#1

:

hazardous

PDC's toxic

location

waste landfill

for the health

adjoining

and

the

welfare

west

of

edge

the

of

area's

the

p(?I~fiPlf

citizenry(DeM

a rd

because

: a) it sits right atop the porous sand-gravel aquifer from which most of the

Greater Peoria area's wat8r supply is drawn

; b) it is immediately upwind of the city, and

research elsewhere is showing morbid health effects due to fumes from such landfills

.

The EPA permit allows 843 of the nation's most toxic chemicals to be put in the

landfill, and'PDC is seeking to add one more (PCBs) to the list

. Most of these . chemicals

are volatile, i .e ., will

.dissipate into the air . 'Past dumping has already created a toxic hill

5 stories(45 feet) high, and PDCwants to add another 5 stories of toxic waste

. It will be

by far the highest hill in the region.

With the Chicago toxic waste landfill closed . hugely

more such waste may be coming here .

A synonym for toxic is

poisonous!

For only 15 of the 79 years PDC's landfill has

. been operating has plastic membrane

been used to line its earthen cells

. But half of that, the first attempts at lining, are now

deemed inadequate by federal-state EPA standards

. However, with bulldozers daily

packing down the newly dumped material, how intact any lining remains is doubtful

.

There was a break in PDC's landfill about 1980

. A witness said contents poured

down the hill like lava, across Rt . 8 and on, closing the road . Professionals (HazMat)

dressed in space age protective gear were called in to remove and dispose of it

.

PROBLEM #2 : The lilinoiS EPA staff said,

"We are not allowed" to suggest new sites for

landfills, unless authorized by our legislators . (Generally this is left to private investors .)

EPA's role is basically enforcing standards for landfill operation and construction .

SITUATION

: PDC's present EPA permit expires next year . HOWEVER, THERE HAS

BEEN

.Ea DISCUSSION OR EFFORT TO FIND AN ALTERNATE AND SAFER SITE

FOR SUCH A HAZARDOUS FACILITY . There are 12 other such commercial landfills

still operating in the nation . The closest is just over the Indiana-Illinois state line .

SOLUTION

: 'If the state wants such a landfill

, the safest site needs to be found

. There

are far superior 'locations' in Central Illinois itself, and many possibilities 'elsewhere .

Some sites in this area

alreadystate approved for landfillin¢ waste, each also with

room

for an addition of a_

hazardous

waste

component. are;

1 - The Peoria City-County landfill 11 miles west of Peoria off Rt.8

on Cottonwood

Road

. It is an extensive former stripmine that is partially used for area trash disposal.

2 --

The massive former mine area at Fairview just off I-74 about 35 miles west of

Peoria in Fulton County

. Little used to date

. Has 'unmined areas Sparsely populated area .

3 --

The Cook County (Chicago) Sanitary District property southwest of Canton in

Fulton County

. 15,000 acres of stripmined land

. Approved for sewage sludge application

.

4 --

Ameren Cilco

: 5,000 acres of stnpmined land offRts

. 24 & 9 south of Banner in

Fulton Co

. Site of its Duck Creek Power Plant

. But the site is mostly pasture and woods

.

There are 50,000 acres of stripmined land in Fulton County alone, and

much more in

other counties . Also, currently operating stripmines elsewhere (or other lands) can be

molded to be future toxic . waste disposal sites with means to retain, on site, any seepage

.

S--Moreover, there is an Qperating hazardous waste landfill off 1-74 just 35 miles on the

.

other side of the Illinois-Indiana stateline . Relatively close for most shippers .

Consider that about

90% of the waste coming to PDC's landfill reportedly comes

from outside the Peoria region of Illinois, and from 14 other states so . far.

These are just a few of.the numerous possible sites for a hazardous waste landfill in'

the Midwest region . We certainly can think outside the Peoria area.

b o

I

I 1-u 4 ILL J-1

IV

M T

IB E W PD

r1L

ET

'FOREVER'

MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAM!

Remember : State law

only allows local governments the right to say yes or nQ to

just

expansion or location of a landfill . All other regulation authority is the

EPA's.

~~ 07)637

-

y 7 9

Tom Edwards/River Rescue