Community Relations - Fact Sheets

Veolia ES Orchard Hills Landfill and Winnebago Landfill Odor Updates

Fact Sheet #3
February 2011

Ogle and Winnebago Counties, Illinois

Introduction

The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide information to and educate citizens about landfill odors and the corrective measures that Veolia ES Orchard Hills Landfill and the Winnebago Landfill have been undertaking to alleviate the odors. In order to keep area residents informed, fact sheet updates will be distributed as landfill activities progress at each facility.

Over the past several months, odors have been an issue for persons living within the vicinity of the Orchard Hills Landfill owned by Veolia ES and the Winnebago Landfill owned by the William Charles Company. Because of these odors, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) has been working with both landfill companies to determine the source of the odors and more importantly, how these odors might be eliminated.  On October 13, 2010, the Illinois EPA sent both landfills a NIPLA (Notice of Intent to Pursue Legal Action) citing violations of the environmental statutes.  This action by the Illinois EPA has resulted in the landfill companies responding with a variety of proposed remedies.

What has been going on at Veolia ES Orchard Hills Landfill?

Since our last fact sheet, Veolia ES Orchard Hills Landfill has:

• submitted their Odor Management Plan to the Illinois EPA for review,
• developed a Community Response Line to allow members of the community to report their odor concerns by telephone,
• expanded the existing landfill gas collection system by installing 13 additional vertical gas extraction wells,
• installed three new blowers and an enclosed flare that increases total landfill gas collection,
• installed additional horizontal gas collectors in the southern portion of the landfill,
• increased the frequency of gas well field monitoring, and
• implemented continuous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) monitoring at the site boundaries.

What has been going on at Winnebago Landfill?

Since our last fact sheet, Winnebago Landfill has been working on improving odor monitoring that includes:

• inspection of daily cover with gas detection instruments,
• screening for incoming odor causing materials and developing methods for rejecting or requiring special handling of such materials,
• inspecting gas and leachate collection systems,
• monitoring and analyzing weather data, which helps in determining locations of the sources of the odors through the Odor Management Plan website,
• installation of additional vertical and horizontal gas collection wells in the North and South units and
• establishment of an automated control system to ensure that vacuum is constant on the collection system to help in the capturing of landfill gases.

For more information, please contact: