Community Relations - Fact Sheets

Landfill Cap Construction
H&L #1 Landfill

Fact Sheet #3
April 2004

Danville, Illinois

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) is pleased to announce the completion of construction activities at the H & L #1 Landfill. Construction of the engineered cap and landfill gas management system began on August 5, 2002, and continued, during the construction seasons, until October of 2003.

In addition, the Illinois EPA completed cleanup and disposal of white goods (household appliances) from an open dumping area located on the west side of the H & L #1 landfill site. While not included in the original landfill design, this project was determined to be of significant benefit to the community.

Background

The H&L #1 Landfill site is a 56-acre landfill owned by the city of Danville. The site is located south of Danville, Illinois between Highland Boulevard, the Vermilion River and Interstate 74. The landfill accepted general refuse and industrial waste for approximately 40 years. Local residents and industries were known to use H&L #1 Landfill for waste disposal. Excessive leachate and odors were problems at the landfill even after it ceased operations.

Construction Activities

Work at H&L #1 Landfill site included the construction of an engineered cap, a gas management system, removal of white goods from an open dumping area and seeding the site. The engineered cap on the H & L #1 Landfill is made of several layers, including a granular layer or tire chip layer that is located in the center of the landfill, a clay layer, a root zone, a topsoil layer and a cover of vegetation. The purpose of the cap is to minimize the seeping of rainwater into the landfill, reduce the amount of leachate produced by the landfill, control surface water runoff and impede erosion of the landfill cover.

While historically there has been no problem with landfill gas production at the H& L #1 Landfill, a plan for landfill gas management was included in the design of the landfill cap. The plan includes the use of passive gas vents to control the buildup of gas in the landfill and a granular layer to direct gas towards the vents. The granular layer, which is located under the central portion of the landfill, was constructed of approximately 5,000 tons of tire chips, which were substituted for gravel. The use of tire chips was a beneficial use of a waste material from a local industry.

The cap was constructed over an area of approximately 56 acres. Construction of the clay and soil layers of the cap required approximately 360,000 cubic yards of soil, which was purchased from a borrow area on 14th Street. The tire chips layer, located in the center of the landfill, is approximately one-foot thick. A compacted clay layer that is approximately two-feet thick covers the tire chip layer, and the remainder of the landfill surface. A root zone that is approximately one-foot thick covers the clay layer. Finally, a six-inch layer of topsoil comprises the uppermost layer of the cap and provides a suitable medium for the growth of vegetation.

Due to weather conditions at the site in late 2003, the Illinois EPA was unable to perform all necessary repairs on Greenwood Cemetery Road. The Illinois EPA will perform additional repair work on the road in late spring of 2004. Additional repair of the road may include filling potholes, resurfacing portions of the road, and repairing the road shoulders.

The total cost of the construction project was approximately five million dollars, which was paid for by the state of Illinois with contributions from the city of Danville.

Future of the Site

The H&L #1 Landfill will not be suitable for any public use. The site will remain fenced. The city of Danville will continue to operate and maintain the leachate collection system, mow and maintain the vegetative cover.

For More Information

An information repository for the H&L #1 Landfill site is maintained at the Danville Public Library, 319 North Vermilion Street. Phone: (217) 477-5220.

If you have any questions about the site or the cap construction activities, please contact: