Congress Development Company/Allied Waste Transportation,
Inc., Hillside Landfill
Fact Sheet #1
November 2010
Hillside, Illinois
Background
The 55-acre former municipal solid waste landfill located at 4100 West Frontage
Road, Hillside, Illinois, commonly known as the Congress Landfill or the Hillside
Landfill is owned by Congress Development Company and has been operated by
Allied Waste Transportation, Inc. since 2007. During the history of the landfill,
odor complaints have been common. In 2005, there was a significant increase
in the frequency and strength of odors impacting residents surrounding the
landfill and a resulting increase in odor complaints to the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency. In 2006, landfill gas was found to be migrating offsite
potentially causing hazardous conditions in nearby buildings. The Illinois
EPA and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office took action at that time
forcing the landfill to address problems that were immediately dangerous offsite,
including requiring monitors in basements for the detection of landfill gas.
Since 2006, there have been continuing odors, high landfill gas readings and
other incidents including a leachate release in 2009, although actions taken
by the landfill to address these issues have greatly reduced the strength and
frequency of these issues.
Since the 2005 and 2006 incidents, the Illinois EPA, Attorney General’s
Office and the landfill operators have been working to address the longer term
issues associated with odors and landfill gas and leachate collection at the
site. Oversight of landfill activities and regular meetings to discuss operations
and ongoing work at the landfill have resulted in three previous settlement
agreements that addressed specific work requirements and the current Final
Consent Order between the State of Illinois and the Congress Defendants addressing
the longer term problems and the eventual final capping and closure of the
landfill. The Final Consent Order also requires the Congress Defendants to
pay a civil penalty. This factsheet discusses the conditions of the Final Consent
Order.
What does the Final Consent Order do?
On August 17, 2010, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois
EPA), the Illinois Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and the Congress Defendants
(Congress) entered a Final Consent Order in the Circuit Court of Cook County
requiring that Congress take certain actions to address alleged violations
of the Environmental Protection Act and Illinois’ environmental regulations
at the Hillside Landfill. The Consent Order provides the framework and requirements
for Congress to achieve and maintain compliance at the landfill with the Illinois
Environmental Protection Act, the environmental regulations, and all of the
terms and conditions of permits issued to the landfill.
The Consent Order also requires the payment of a civil penalty.
Who are the Congress Defendants?
Congress Development Co., John Sexton Sand & Gravel Corp., and Allied
Waste Transportation, Inc. are called collectively, the “Congress Defendants”.
How much is the civil penalty that Congress must pay?
Congress is required to pay a civil penalty of $1,000,000. This money is paid
into the State of Illinois’ Environmental Protection Trust Fund.
What activities have the landfill operators undertaken or completed prior
to this Consent Order to mitigate odors and correct other problems at the landfill?
In January of 2007, the AGO entered a second preliminary injunction with the
court. Since then many activities have been accomplished, including:
- A slip liner system has been installed along the perimeter of the landfill;
- Improvements to the landfill gas collection system;
- Improvements to the leachate management system including leachate extraction wells;
- Installation and operation of two enclosed flares;
- Placement of over 266,000 cubic yards of protective soil cover over the 55 acre landfill footprint;
- Development and implementation of a settlement monitoring program;
- Installation of eight temperature probes;
- Installation of nine pressure transducers to monitor pressure within the waste mass; and
- Installation and operation of a leachate pretreatment plant that is designed to treat up to 125,000
gallons per day prior to discharge to MWRDGC;
- Also, as a requirement of an Order entered by the Village of Hillside in March
2007, Congress installed 55 acres of an impermeable final cover system made
up of geomembrane panels.
There has also been a significant reduction in both reported odor complaints
and surface emissions exceedances.
What future activities are mandated by the Consent Order?
The Consent Order requires Congress to create a Landfill Compliance Plan which
will be subject to review and approval by the Illinois EPA and AGO. The Landfill
Compliance Plan will be kept at the landfill.
The Landfill Compliance Plan will outline the work that must take place at
the landfill. Specific areas will be addressed by separate Work Plans. The
Landfill Compliance Plan must address the following Work Plans:
- Landfill Settlement
- Settlement monitoring and remedial action,
- Final cover replacement;
- Landfill Gas and Air Quality Plan
- Gas Collection and Control System,
- Gas Collection Operating Standards,
- Gas Migration and Monitoring,
- Community Relations Plan with an Odor Complaint Protocol,
- Odor Monitoring Plan;
- Landfill Monitoring and Corrective Action Plan (LMCAP);
- Leachate Plan;
- Surface Water Plan;
- Groundwater Plan; and
- Systems Identification Plan.
The Consent Order also contains a Compliance Schedule that details the deadlines
for specific objectives that must be met in regard to the Landfill Compliance
Plan.
Until each Work Plan is approved under the Consent Order, the Work Plan requirements
of the Second Supplemental Agreed Preliminary Injunction and Order from 2007
will remain in force.
What happens if the Congress Defendants fail to complete an activity or comply
with requirements by the dates specified in the Consent Order?
Congress is required to notify the Illinois EPA and AGO of failure to comply
with the Consent Order and will be subject to a penalty of $300.00 per violation
per day until compliance with the Consent Order is achieved.
Ongoing communications with Congress and the reporting requirements described
below will allow the Illinois EPA and AGO to determine quickly whether Congress
is meeting the requirements of the Consent Order.
Now that the Consent Order has been signed, what are the next activities
to happen at the landfill?
There will be an ongoing effort to reduce leachate and gas levels within the
landfill. This will include continued maintenance and monitoring activities
conducted on both the landfill gas collection and leachate management systems.
Two new leachate storage tanks and a leachate load out pad will be constructed.
There will be continued filling and grading activities where settlement has
occurred to prevent the ponding of precipitation and infiltration of precipitation
into the landfill.
The AGO and Illinois EPA will continue to hold monthly meetings with Congress
to review ongoing operations and work at the landfill pursuant to the Consent
Order.
Monthly reports will be submitted to the Illinois EPA and AGO to provide updates
on parameters established in the Consent Order and twice yearly reports assessing
the condition of the landfill will be submitted to the Illinois EPA and AGO.
What is leachate and how does it affect the gas collection system?
Leachate is the liquid in the landfill that accumulates when water, usually
rainwater, travels through and mixes with the waste. Leachate can become contaminated
with toxic substances depending on the nature of the waste present within the
landfill.
When leachate levels are too high, as at the Congress Landfill, leachate will
fill the gas extraction wells causing them to clog and be unusable for gas
extraction.
Leachate levels must be lowered to allow proper function of the landfill gas
extraction wells.
Does the landfill still accept waste?
The landfill stopped accepting garbage on January, 2008. However, due
to decomposition of waste in the landfill there has been substantial subsidence
or settling on portions of the landfill. To correct the subsidence and
prepare for a final cap, the landfill is allowed to bring soil on site as fill. Some
of the soil may be considered waste by statute if it comes from construction
sites or other similar sources.
How can I find out more information about the landfill as work progresses?
As part of the Landfill Compliance Plan, Congress must develop a Community
Relations Plan including a protocol establishing a process for the public to
contact the landfill to submit odor complaints. The Community Relations Plan
will provide a framework for Congress to update the surrounding community about
work at the landfill. The Illinois EPA will be reviewing the Community Relations
Plan and will be monitoring the outreach work and the number of odor complaints
received by the landfill.
As significant milestones are reached at the landfill, the Illinois EPA will
be conducting additional outreach. If you would like to be placed on the Illinois
EPA’s mailing list for the landfill, please contact the Illinois EPA
at the contact listed below.
Information about the Consent Order, monthly and semi-annual reporting and
the Work Plans may be obtained from the Illinois EPA at the contact listed
below.
For more information from Illinois EPA, contact:
Brad Frost
Office of Community Relations
Illinois EPA
1021 North Grand Avenue, East
P.O. Box 19506
Springfield, Illinois 62794-9506
(217) 782-7027
(217) 524-5023 fax
For updates on the work at the landfill, Congress maintains a website at: www.congresslandfill.com
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