ILLINOIS
POLLUTION
CONTROL
BOARD
July 12,
1979
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY,
Complainant,
V.
)
PCB 78—279
LAND AND LAKES LANDFILL CO.
Respondent.
OPINION
AND
ORDER
OF
THE
BOARD
(by
Mr. Goodman):
This matter comes before the Board upon the November
8,
1979 Complaint
filed by the Environmental Protection Agency
(Agency) charging Land and Lakes Landfill Company
(Land and
Lakes) with violating Section 12
(a) of the Environmental
Protection Act (Act)
by allowing the discharge of contami-
nants
from
its land into Calurnet Lake.
The Complaint further
alleged that Land and Lakes has not applied
for nor presently
possesses a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES)
Permit in violation of Section 12(f)
of the Act.
Hearings were held on May
3,
1979 and May 17,
1979.
A Stipula-
tion and Proposal
for Settlement was filed
at the Board on
May 18,
1979.
The regulated landfill
at issue is located on South
Stony Island Avenue
in Cook County,
Illinois.
A drainpipe
runs
from the above mentioned landfill site to a ditch area
and discharges into Lake Calumet.
Discharges
from the
drainpipe consist of liquids
from the landfill
site, other
surface drainage
liquids, and at times drainage from neigh-
boring properties.
Agency analysis of two grab samples
of
discharges
from the end of the pipe and of discharges
flowing
to the pipe indicated excess concentration of
iron
(4 mg/l
and
16 mg/i), ROD
(85
mg/i
and 23 mg/i)
and suspended
solids
(180 mg/i and 280 mg/i).
Land and Lakes
is surrounded
by
other landfill
sites.
Apparently,
it
is drainage
from such
sites
onto Land
and
Lakes property which aggravates
its situa-
tion
as
drainage is
a problem throughout
the area
(Tr.
May
17,
pg.4).
Land and Lakes duties under the terms of
the Settlement
in the Stipulation and Settlement include constructing and
maintaining dikes on the border of its property which will
prevent polluted waters on neighboring properties from
—2—
flowing across the subject property
(Stipulation page
4).
This would eliminate pollutants
from other landfills from
concentrating in Land and Lakes drainage system;
thus, the
pollution problem will become manageable.
Also,
under the terms of the Settlement, Land and Lakes
shall not cause or allow the discharge of contaminants
or
pollutants
in excess of effluent level standards from the
drainage pipe or the property at issue
(Stipulation page
4).
The diking system should decrease the level of pollutants
to
such a degree that Land and Lakes will he able to solve the
pollution problem now existing.
To further maintain control
of the situation, the terms of the Settlement require Land and
Lakes to document any illegal pumping or diversion of water
from adjacent properties onto its property
(Stipulation page
4).
Thus,
Land and Lakes will take
further precautions
to
prevent its drainage system from collecting and concentrating
contaminants flowing
from the surrounding
area.
The terms
of the Settlement
state that no civil penalty
shall be required of Land and Lakes
(Stipulation Page 4).
Land and Lakes has shown its cooperation by already beginning
construction of the diking system
(Transcript of May
3,
1979
hearing page 6).
Considering the level
of pollution involved and the efforts
made by Land and Lakes
thus
far,
the Board finds that further
litigation by the parties
in this matter
is not in the best
interests of the People of the State of
Illinois.
The Board
finds that the compliance program developed as a result of the
Agency’s cooperation with Land and Lakes is
a suitable resolu-
tion of the problem and that no penalty is necessary.
This
Opinion constitutes
the findings of fact and
conclusions of law of the Board in this matter.
ORDER
It is the Order of the Pollution Control
Board that:
1)
Land and Lakes Landfill Company is found to have violated
Section
12(a) and Section 12(f)
of the Environmental Pro-
tection
Act.
2)
Land and Lakes Landfill Company shall comply with
the
con-
ditions contained
in the Stipulation and Settlement Agree-
ment filed before the Board by the parties on
May
18,
1979
which Stipulation and Settlement Agreement is hereby incor-
porated
in this Order
as if fully set forth herein.
Dr.
Satchell
abstained.
—3—
I,
Christan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board, hereby cejtify the above Opinion and Order
were adopted on the
/,J.’~
day of
______________,
1979 by a
vote of
_________
Christan L.
Moffet
,
rk
Illinois Pollution
ontrol Board