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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

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

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