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iDecember 14, 2003
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Nicole McKinley
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837 North 12th Street
Rochelle, IL 61068
Dorothy M.
Gunn
Clerk, Illinois Pollution Control Board
James R. Thompson Center
Suite 11-500
100 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601
Re: case #PCBO3-218
Case name: Rochelle Waste Disposal LLC vs. City Council ofthe city ofRochelle, IL
Dear Ms. Gunn,
I am not writing to vilify the owners and operators ofRochelle Waste Disposal as they
have provided good service to this city and me over the years. Like any progressive business,
Rochelle Waste Disposal seeks to expand its operation and thereby generate larger profits.
These profits would undoubtedly benefit our city with higher tax revenues. However, this
expected revenue is like a siren’s call
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hard to ignore and very tempting. I commend our current
city council for listening to its constituents and voting to reject the petition. My concerns with
the landfill expansion are as follows...
Much has been said about the safety ofthe proposed expansion. However, no amount of
planning will change the fact that this will create an enormous amount oftraffic on and around
Hwy. 38. My husband travels this route daily on his way to Kishwaukee College. Even minor
accidents cause major snarls in the traffic patterns on 38, and the increased number oflarge
trucks added to this mix will only cause a more hazardous drive. In two years our oldest child
will be attending Kishwaukee College, and that will be place one more McKinley in harm’s way
by this increase in traffic, should the expansion be allowed to go forward.
I spoke recently to a friend ofmine who is a researcher for the U.S. Geological Service.
Afler explaining the issue we’re facing with this landfill expansion, she expressed serious
concerns about the groundwater safety problems. As she pointed out to me, aquifers in the
Southwestern United States have a different set ofchallenges than do those in this area.
Groundwater in this area is impacted very quickly because ofthe larger amounts ofrain and
melting snowfall. Her greatest fear was that the clay liner, which is a virtually impermeable
substance, would quickly fill, leading to seepage and contamination ofthe groundwater and well
systems. She also pointed out that we are on an active fault line. There was fault movement as
recently as 4 years ago as close as Dixon,Illinois.
And fmally, this summer I visited a childhood friend ofmine. Her husband, a former BFI
executive, and she own a landfill consulting company. I explained to her the debate we’ve been
having here in Rochelle and asked for her thoughts on the subject. She spoke passionately about
the safe guards these large landfills have and attempted to poke holes in my “not in my
backyard” attitude. She lives in a town near Houston, Texas
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a town about the size ofRochelle.
I asked her if she would feel comfortable about having Harris County’s garbage brought to her
town, creating a massive landfill. She thought for a moment and answered, “No.” When asked
why, she said, “Because you can never be totally sure.”
We need to be sure about our road safety, our water safety, and the safety ofour land.
Please deny this petition.
Respectfully yours,
Nicole McKinley