Abandoned Landfills

Landfill Sites

Adams

Quincy Muni #1
Adams County - Quincy

This 39-acre landfill located in Quincy accepted municipal, industrial and special wastes beginning in 1967 and ceased accepting waste in 1972. Special wastes including trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, paint lacquer, lacquer, cutting oils and caustic cleaning fluids were accepted at this landfill. The waste was disposed in a pit at the site. A 1994 Illinois EPA Storm Water Permit stated the following corrective actions were needed: haul dirt to fill and regrade settled areas, restructure slopes for proper drainage, repair leachate seeps, repair ditches with rip-rap and reseed disturbed vegetated areas. Currently, the landfill has groundwater contamination (with known solvent contamination), erosion and leachate problems. Erosion gullies are located on the east side. Investigation activities are planned for Spring 2004.

Cass

Lewis Landfill
Cass County - Beardstown

Lewis Landfill consists of 20-acres of landfill on a 40-acre parcel. Lewis Landfill ceased accepting waste in 1992, but the closure requirements were not completed. The area is rural and is located approximately three miles south of Beardstown. Residences and a hog confinement operation are within two miles of the site. A Land O'Lakes transfer pipeline spans above ground over Lewis Landfill, which transfers waste from a lagoon. Recently, a valve on this pipeline malfunctioned and released 7,000 gallons of lagoon waste onto the landfill. Ponded liquid was recovered and transported back to the lagoon. The landfill had erosion problems due to a poor sandy cap. The groundwater table is within a few feet of the land surface. Groundwater contamination (iron, manganese and nitrates), visible surface debris and unpermitted open dumping on the north end of the site has occurred. Standing water existed in a shallow, unfilled excavated cell located near the center of the site. The landfill grade was uneven with some grass, cactus and trees growing on the site. There is an intermittent, dry ditch located along the west side of the site. Site access for vehicles is somewhat restricted due to a ravine on the north side, a ditch along the west side and railroad tracks on the east side. The site contains significant habitat for the state endangered Illinois Mud Turtle and the state endangered Chorus Frog. The Illinois EPA and Illinois Department of Natural Resources are working to ensure that the landfill remains open space. Corrective actions were completed in Spring 2003.

Coles

Service Disposal 1
Coles County - Mattoon

This 40-acre landfill has the same, insolvent owner as the Western Lion Landfill. Service Disposal #1 is located in a rural area and is adjacent to two other landfills, which are all within three-quarters of a mile of the Sara Bush Lincoln Hospital, near Mattoon. It opened in 1966 and an Illinois EPA permit was issued in 1971. During the 1960's and 1970's, the site was the subject of many citizen complaints regarding uncovered refuse and leachate. The acceptance of garbage began to decline in 1978. There were significant erosion problems and there is a history of leachate discharging into Riley Creek. There have been instances of fish kills in Riley Creek due to the leachate from the landfills. Inadequate cover on the landfill continued to degrade until Illinois EPA began construction in June 2000, to install a permanent cap to reduce infiltration of rainwater and to recontour the site for proper drainage. Corrective actions were completed in Spring 2001.

Western Lion Landfill
Coles County - Mattoon

The Western Lion Landfill is a 26-acre landfill which was "sealed" by the Illinois EPA in 1997, because of a pit full of leachate, 35 to 40 feet deep. The pond of leachate had garbage floating on top, with grass and small trees growing in this garbage, giving the appearance of a solid land surface. In the fall of 1999, an Illinois EPA contractor pumped more than 2 million gallons of leachate from the pit and trucked it to the Mattoon Waste Water Treatment Plant for proper treatment. The leachate pit was then filled in with clean soil material.

Western Lion Landfill is located 1.5 miles east of the Mattoon City Limits. There have been significant erosion problems and a history of leachate discharging into Riley Creek. Riley Creek is considered a "Class A" stream, which means its quality is among the top five percent of the waterways in the state. The landfill had an inadequate cap, which allowed rainwater to mix with waste, which leached out at numerous locations along the creek bank. The owner of the landfill has declared bankruptcy and is unable to conduct the necessary work.

The Illinois EPA Seal Order has been rescinded, since the pit has been eliminated. During 1999, an Illinois EPA contractor prepared design plans to recontour the landfills for proper drainage and to install an impermeable cap that will be resistant to infiltration. Construction of the impermeable cap began in June 2000. Corrective actions were completed in Spring 2001.

Illinois EPA employee measuring depth of leachate pit.

Cook

Chicago Heights Municipal
Cook County - Chicago Heights

This 15.5-acre landfill opened in 1971 and was closed and partially covered in 1981. The landfill cap has erosion gullies at least six inches deep that are getting worse and causing leachate problems. The landfill causes known groundwater contamination. Chicago Heights Municipal Landfill was publicly owned and operated by the City of Chicago Heights. There are four closed landfills in Chicago Heights that are adjacent to each other (Chicago Heights Municipal, Chicago Heights Refuse Depot, Triem and Fitzmar landfill). A heavy concentration of light industrial and residential properties surround these landfills. Access to this landfill is somewhat restricted due to fencing.

Chicago Heights Refuse Depot
Cook County - Chicago Heights

This 29-acre landfill operated from 1978 to 1988 and is located adjacent to three other landfills (Chicago Heights Municipal, Triem, and Fitzmar). The City of Chicago Heights owned 11 acres and Joseph Laport owned 18 acres. The landfill cap had extensive erosion gullies with leachate problems. Additional soil cover and contouring were needed to correct the cap. Corrective actions were completed in 2003.

Fitzmar
Cook County - Chicago Heights

Fitzmar is a 43-acre landfill, which operated from 1973 until it was forced to close by court action in 1988. Reports of hazardous waste disposal exist. The landfill cap has erosion gullies more than six inches deep and areas with no vegetation. Leachate problems exist. Fitzmar Landfill rises approximately 20 to 30 feet above grade. Groundwater flow is to the southwest and Municipal Well No. 3 was taken out of service during 1987 because of vinyl chloride contamination in the groundwater. Municipal Well No. 2 was also taken out of service in 1987 to avoid influencing the contamination plume. Onsite groundwater wells have elevated concentrations of sulfate, chlorides, ammonia, boron, TOC and vinyl chloride. The landfill cover needs contouring and additional topsoil to support better vegetation. Fitzmar Landfill is located adjacent to three other landfills (Chicago Heights Municipal, Chicago Heights Refuse Depot, and Triem Landfill).

The Chicago Heights water tower shows the close proximity
of the poorly capped landfill to the city

Paxton I
Cook County - Chicago

Paxton Landfill I is a 52-acre landfill located in the southeast part of Chicago. Paxton I is located immediately adjacent to and east of the Paxton II Landfill. Operated during the 1970's, this facility accepted general refuse, industrial hazardous liquid wastes and sludges. This landfill does not rise above grade and was operated by excavating trenches into the land surface and then filling in the trenches with wastes. Numerous violations have occurred at this site including disposal practice violations. A variety of chemical contaminants have been found in the groundwater and in the surface water. The surface material is composed of slag materials and a rocky soil.

Paxton II
Cook County - Chicago

Paxton Landfill is a 58-acre landfill located on the south side of Chicago, just east of Lake Calumet. Over 13 million cubic yards of waste are piled more than 170 feet high. This 25-year old landfill had steep, unstable slopes with inadequate cover and no erosion controls. Paxton Landfill posed a significant, immediate threat to public health and the environment. Due to steep unstable slopes, a landslide of waste could have occurred, causing an environmental catastrophe. It could have resulted in emergency relocation of residents, a threat of human injury, uncontrollable spontaneous fire hazard, air pollution problems due to the release of methane and other landfill gases, surface water contamination to area marshes and to Lake Calumet, groundwater contamination, damage to and closure of local roads, an increased threat of disease transmission due to disease spreading vectors and commercial business losses. The unstable slopes were progressively becoming weaker until the Illinois EPA took immediate action in March 1999 to start removing leachate. The solution to controlling these risks and reducing the probability of a landslide included installing an effective cap (completed December 1999) to reduce infiltration of rainwater, collecting and transporting leachate and managing landfill gas. The Illinois EPA anticipates that long-term control of these problems will cost in excess of $15 million. The state’s stabilization efforts successfully reduced the threat of a catastrophic slope failure. The state has finished capping the most critical 19-acres and has pumped out more than 3 million gallons of contaminated liquids from within the landfill. During 2000, the side slopes were improved, prairie vegetation is being planted and a permanent leachate collection system is being installed. Leachate removal will continue for several years. The City of Chicago and the state plan to restore the adjacent properties for wetland use. Corrective actions were completed in 2001.

Triem
Cook County - Chicago Heights

This 69-acre landfill started accepting waste during the 1920s. Triem was built in an old clay mine. Formerly, a hazardous waste site existed on top of Triem. This landfill is located just south of the Chicago Heights Sanitary Water Treatment Plant. Triem landfill was last permitted in 1976 and was partially capped and closed in 1977. Industrial wastes, including spent pickle liquor, waste water treatment plant sludge, latex paint sludge, oily waste and hot lime softener residue were accepted. The landfill cap has extensive erosion gullies, which continue to erode each year. Corrective actions are proposed for 2004.

Douglas

Multi-County Landfill
Douglas County - Villa Grove

Multi-County Landfill is a 40-acre former landfill located near Villa Grove. This landfill had a poor cap consisting primarily of sand that was eroding more and more each year. Each summer, bad odors would drift to into the town of Villa Grove, located one mile southwest of the landfill. This landfill was abandoned with an 80,000 cubic yard hole in the ground, which acted as a leachate tub. With a $500,000 general revenue appropriation and more than $3.6 million of Illinois EPA Hazardous Waste Fund funds, the landfill was capped during 1997 and 1998. The Illinois EPA was able to use dredging material from a nearby homeowner's association lake project for the landfill cap. Adjacent to Multi-County Landfill is a stream that flows for several miles through south central Illinois. The remaining tasks include on-going leachate collection, groundwater monitoring for several years and maintenance of the cap until it settles and vegetation is established.

Formerly poor cap material with severe erosion gullies

Gallatin

Lambert
Gallatin County - Equality

This 10-acre landfill is located one-half mile south of Equality and is adjacent to a large strip mine lake. The landfill operated until October 1990. No adequate final cover exists. During its operations refuse was not spread and compacted adequately. Historically, disease carrying vectors and gob burning have been observed. Drainage is to the southwest and the Saline River flows a quarter mile to the southeast corner of the site. No groundwater monitoring system exists, and it needs a final cap. The owner and operator are now deceased and there is no financial assurance.

Knox

Steagall Landfill
Knox County - Galesburg

Steagall Landfill is located just south of Galesburg and accepted household, municipal and industrial waste from the early 1960's to 1975. Steagall operated as a landfill before the state required permits. This former landfill was located in a creek that created an ongoing source of downstream contamination into a recreational lake. Leachate flowed freely from the landfill into adjacent property. A state-funded action was completed during 1990 and 1991 for this 100-acre landfill. During 1991, the Illinois EPA placed an impermeable cap on top of the landfill and enclosed the creek in a culvert through the site. This stopped the flow of additional contamination into Brush Creek and Lake Bracken. The state investigation and cleanup cost of approximately $8.8 million was funded by former Clean Illinois and Build Illinois monies. Out of this $8.8 million, the State recovered approximately $5.4 million during 1991 from a total of 12 responsible parties. During the last 15 years of state-funded cleanups, Steagall was one of the largest in terms of size and cost. Due to the severity of problems at the former Steagall Landfill, the state continues to operate a leachate collection and treatment system for approximately $100,000 per year.

Pig seen drinking creek water contaminated with leachate

Lawrence

Dowty Landfill
Lawrence County - Lawrenceville

This 78-acre landfill is located on a 108-acre parcel of land and operated from 1969 to 1984. Household and special wastes were accepted at the site including municipal waste, sewage sludge, electroplating sludge, liquid sludge, solid waste and poultry processing waste. Several roads serve the site and also lead to oil storage tanks and oil pumping jacks owned by Marathon Oil. The topography consists of irregular contours that have developed depressions that collect surface water. This landfill has a history of environmental violations including inadequate daily, intermediate and final covers, as well as visible leachate seeps. The landfill did not satisfy closure requirements and elevated levels of barium and manganese were measured in leachate samples taken from the site. Furthermore, the landfill has substantial cap problems and leachate flows into an unnamed tributary of the Embarras River. Private groundwater wells are located nearby, which are used for drinking water.

Livingston

Ocoya Sanitary Landfill
Livingston County - Ocoya

This 57-acre landfill is located near Ocoya and operated from 1974 to 1994. The landfill is built in the old Ocoya Stone Company quarry and does not rise above the natural ground elevation. Primarily, the landfill is located in a rural area. The landfill acts as a bathtub rather than having significant groundwater flow. This means that landfill is shaped like a bowl and retains water as opposed to the migrating through the landfill or running off the landfill. A new cap will ensure this bathtub does not overflow. Leachate seeps can be observed. The surface water run-off is to the southern end of the site. There are three small ponds in the southeast corner of the site. The cover is not sufficient on a 1.5-acre area in the northwest and a small area in the southwest corner. The landfill surface has a lot of small stones and gravel. The cap is partially vegetated. Located to the south side of this landfill is another old quarry, and the north and east sides are agricultural. Two homes are located approximately one-half mile northwest of the site. Six new homes are located less than one mile to the south.

Macon

Bath Landfill
Macon County - Decatur

The Bath Landfill, a six-acre site, ceased accepting waste in 1991 due to of a Consent Order from the Illinois Attorney General's Office. The landfill cap needs work because it has small trees, tires and concrete protruding through it. This landfill received municipal solid waste and construction and demolition debris. There is currently no leachate collection system or a liner. There is a cable gate on the north entrance and residences are located approximately one-half miles to north. Part of the landfill's northern boundary is the Sangamon River and is approximately one-quarter of a mile from Lincoln Park. The landfill threatened the nearby Sangamon River. Corrective actions were complete in 2003.

Rhodes Landfill
Macon County - Decatur

This 15.3-acre landfill is located on the west side of Decatur, just south of the Route 48 bridge, at Bowshier Lane and State Highway 48. The landfill was a gravel quarry before being used as a dump and landfill. Rhodes Landfill evolved from an open dump and began accepting wastes in the early 1970's, including foundry wastes and demolition debris. Rhodes Landfill was closed by a court order in August of 1992. Rhodes landfill is privately owned. No leachate collection system or liner exists. A large ditch borders the landfill sloped toward the Sangamon River on the east. Tokorozawa Lake, a stocked fishery, is located adjacent to this landfill. No berm or strip of land separates the landfill from the lake. During flood years, the Sangamon River flows over its bank and into areas of Lake Tokorozawa and landfill waste has been found in the lake. The landfill has steep slopes with erosion problems, open refuse, landfill gas outbreaks and leaching into the Sangamon River.

Waste Hauling Landfill
Macon County - Decatur

This 40-acre landfill, located five miles south of Decatur, operated from 1973 to 1992. The Waste Hauling Landfill is located less than one-quarter mile south of the Sangamon River and just north of Rockspring Road. The landfill lies mid-slope between the uplands and the floodplain of the Sangamon River. A creek runs from the southeast to the northwest. Depth to the nearest groundwater aquifer is less than twenty feet. Distance to the nearest well and resident is less than 2,000 feet from the landfill. Waste Hauling Landfill was filled beyond permitted boundaries and continued to operate without resolving the problem until 1988. This landfill had significant erosion, with gullies as wide as five feet and three feet deep. Visible leachate ihas been observed on three sides of the landfill. The landfill is also known to have accepted asbestos and hazardous waste. This landfill has no liner, no groundwater monitoring wells and no gas vents. Two rural residents are located one-quarter mile to the south. Corrective actions were completed in 2003.

leachate seep

Macoupin

Carlinville Landfill
Macoupin County - Carlinville

This 24 acre landfill is located on the southeast side of Carlinville. It opened in 1975 and was abandoned in 1994. The cap was poorly constructed and had significant erosion problems. Many residential homes are located adjacent to the area where the severely eroded cap was beginning to expose refuse. This was the first landfill to be remediated with Illinois FIRST funding. The entire landfill cap was regraded and approximately 63,000 cubic yards of soil were spread onto the top and western slope to complete a landfill cap. Passive gas vents were installed in three locations on top of the landfill. These remedial activities were completed during August through November 1999 at a cost of $650,000. The landfill was seeded in October 1999 and was first mowed in August 2000. No leachate is expected to be generated. Access to the landfill has been restricted as this abandoned landfill had become an attractive place for all-terrain vehicles. This type of recreational use can damage the cover and could cause erosion gullies, exposed refuse, unstable slopes and the infiltration of rainwater through the refuse.

Marion

Centralia Environmental Services
Marion County - Centralia

Centralia Environmental Services, Inc. (CESI) Landfill is located approximately three miles south of Centralia, just south of the intersection of 100N and 125E. The area is very rural, with a few homes to the south. Burlington Northern Railroad tracks run along the westside. The landfill topography is irregularly shaped and moderately rolling. Two intermittent streams cross CESI and both flow northwest toward Webster Creek. This 35-acre landfill operated from 1986 to 1989. It is privately owned and was privately operated. CESI has history of violating permit conditions and operating without proper disposal permits. There was significant erosion and an approximate 40-foot high by 500-foot long wall of exposed trash. The landfill cap was very thin with steep sides. The owner filed bankruptcy in October 1993. Centralia residents had expressed strong concerns about the CESI landfill since the mid-80s. CESI required significant cover material, contouring, capping and fencing. There iwas obvious evidence of trespassing with all-terrain vehicles. Corrective actions were completed in 2002.

40' x 500' wall of exposed trash

Prior 1,2,3,4
Marion County - Centralia

Prior 1,2,3,4 is a 29-acre landfill located approximately three miles south of Centralia and adjacent to CESI. Operations began in 1975 and ended in 1987. The waste accepted included special waste, sewage and industrial sludge, asbestos-containing material, used paint and ink and soil mixed with diesel fuel. The surrounding land is rural. The Burlington Northern Railroad tracks divide the site into two portions, with the landfill located on the east and west sides. Webster Creek flows approximately 25 feet along the landfill east to west. No groundwater leachate systems or liners have been installed. Problems included steep slopes, subsided cover and ravines with leachate flowing into the on-site intermittent stream. There was a potential for steep slopes , full of garbage, along Perrine, to spill into the street. Corrective actions were completed in 2003.

Prior-Blackwell
Marion County - Centralia

Prior-Blackwell landfill consists of 7.75 acres located approximately three miles south of Centralia. Waste operations began in 1981 and ended during 1986. This landfill was owned and operated by the same owners as the adjacent Centralia Environmental Services, Inc. and Prior 1,2,3,4 Landfills. Prior-Blackwell lies immediately north of the Prior 1,2,3,4 landfill. The surrounding land is rural and the landscape surface ranges from flat to rolling. The shallow groundwater flows to the northwest, towards Webster Creek. No groundwater or leachate system or liners were installed. Problems included areas of subsidence with ponding, two areas with no vegetation, steep slopes and ravines on the western side and exposed refuse. Leachate was seen flowing into Webster Creek to the north. Corrective actions were completed in 2003.

McHenry

McHenry County Sanitary Landfill
McHenry County - Crystal Lake

McHenry County is a 40-acre landfill located on the southern part of Crystal Lake in close proximity to surrounding businesses and subdivided residences, all with private, potable water supplies. There are residences within 200 yards of the landfill. This landfill operated from 1972 to September 1992. McHenry County was a first generation Illinois EPA permitted sanitary landfill constructed with a five-foot compacted clay liner. No leachate collection system exists. There are four gas vents and six monitoring wells on the landfill. Nearby residents have complained of odor problems. Illinois EPA inspections have found leachate seepage, uncovered refuse, ponding water and erosion gullies. In 1993, a serious erosion problem was taking place on the north slope. Erosion had silted in the drainage system in the Wyndwood Subdivision and caused flooding throughout the neighborhood. Also in 1993, a large vegetation fire occurred, with the cause unknown. At that same time, vandalism was a problem, including open dumping. A closure certification by the Illinois EPA was denied to McHenry County Landfill in 1994 because of insufficient closure maintenance. Illinois EPA conducted a gas migration study in summer 2003.  Results are pending.

Erosion gully with exposed refuse within 50 feet of homes

Mercer

Viola Landfill
Mercer County - Viola

This 10-acre landfill operated from 1973 to 1992 and is located near Viola. Although it has ceased accepting waste, this landfill is not certified closed and has been cited for many violations during operations. In 1998, the Pollution Control Board cited the landfill for not meeting final cover requirements of the state regulations. The landfill was overfilled above its permitted elevation. Other violations include poor cap, leachate runoff and groundwater contamination. Erosion has caused refuse to be exposed and there have been odor complaints. The cover is sparsely vegetated.

Montgomery

Bishop Landfill
Montgomery County - Litchfield

As a 15-acre landfill, Bishop Landfill was permitted to accept municipal waste in 1971 and ceased accepting waste in May of 1987. The site is located in a rural area, with a cemetery to the east and farmland to the north and west. Topography slopes to the northwest toward the Long Branch Creek, and the geology consists of 60 feet of glacial sediments overlaying shale and limestone. The landfill rises 50 feet above a ravine and a nearby roadway. Located near Litchfield, the landfill has erosion problems on the northeast corner, leachate seeps and low spots that allow for ponding water. Violations include the absence of an approved closure and post-closure plan. Leachate enters a stream located adjacent to the landfill. Currently foxtail grasses cover the landfill and no gas vents have been installed.

Pulaski

Delta Regional Landfill
Pulaski County - Mounds

This 60-acre permitted landfill accepted waste from 1972 until September 1992. The City of Cairo operated the landfill and accepted industrial and institutional wastes. The site is adjacent to an unnamed creek to the north of the site and an unnamed intermittent stream to the south. The landfill is 25 to 75 feet above the flood plain. This site is located near the City of Mounds and the residents obtain drinking water from a municipal well, located 2.5 miles southeast of the landfill. Currently, the landfill is inadequately capped with poor contours, exposed refuse and visible leachate. A closure plan was never submitted to the Illinois EPA. Enforcement actions are pending with the Illinois Attorney General's Office.

Erosion gully with visible leachate

St. Clair

Bi-State Disposal
St. Clair County - Belleville

This 40-acre former landfill operated from 1976 to 1990 and was built in a former strip mine south of Belleville. Various industrial wastes were accepted while it operated. It is located in a somewhat rural area, but close to popular youth recreational areas. The nearest residents are approximately 3/4 miles away. Twenty-six acres used for disposal consist of a north and south mound separated by a lake. On top of the mounds were large areas of standing water ranging from four inches to two feet in depth. The sidewall along the south side of the north mound had caved in and continued to deteriorate. It was difficult to traverse the land on foot due to erosion. The erosion gullies ranged from a few inches wide and deep to at least two feet wide and two feet deep. Bi-State Landfill was not properly covered with soil. No liners or leachate collection systems exist. Inspections have documented more than one hundred trees growing within the boundaries of trash. Trees tend to weaken the cover and their root systems allow more rain into the landfill. As more rain entered the old landfill, more leachate was generated. There are four acres on the south mound that leachate seeps out of year-round. Corrective actions were completed in 2003.

Union

Anna Municipal
Union County - Anna

This 80-acre site was operated as a sanitary landfill and received about 31,000 cubic yards of garbage a year. It is located approximately one mile northwest of Anna. Adjacent water bodies include a pond that leads into the Green Creek, which flows into Dutch Creek, then into Clear Creek and ultimately into the Mississippi River. The City of Anna operated the landfill in the 1970’s. During that period, burning of refuse, trees and brush often occurred at the site and refuse was not properly spread or compacted but was allowed to accumulate into piles. Historically, there has been evidence of rats, unrestricted access to the site and operation without a permit. The landfill rises approximately 25 feet above grade. Erosion is continuing due to the lack of a final cap. Corrective actions are ongoing.

Vermilion

H & L Disposal
Vermilion County - Danville

This 56-acre former strip mine belongs to the City of Danville and was used as a landfill from 1941 until 1974. Illinois EPA conducted an investigation in 1986, which concluded that both an impermeable cap and a leachate collection system should be installed. Under the terms of a 1991 Consent Agreement, the issue of cap construction was delayed and the City installed a leachate collection system. 65,000 gallons of leachate are collected per day and sent by pipeline to the Danville Sanitary District Wastewater Treatment Plant. However, leachate breakouts have still occurred and Illinois EPA maintains the position that an impermeable cap should be installed over the entire site to minimize infiltration. No final cover in the ash area (northwest) exists. Three distinct filling activities occurred and strip coal mining occurred at the site. Refuse, cinder, ash residue, demolition, combustible demolition, herbicides and industrial wastes were all disposed at the site during operation. An on-site incinerator burned refuse and the ash was disposed into a large ravine at the northern part of the site. Surface water runoff is towards two unnamed tributaries to the southeast and northeast of the site and eventually into the Vermilion River. A recreation park with three ball diamonds was constructed on the site after the cession of waste disposal. Corrective actions were completed in 2003.

Erosion gullies with significant leachate

Whiteside

Morrison City Dump
Whiteside County - Morrison

This dump site, a former rock quarry, is located immediately north of U.S Route 30, one mile north of the city of Morrison, approximately nine miles west of Sterling. The dump is located 500 feet west of Rock Creek. An unnamed tributary runs along the southern perimeter of the dump. Regional groundwater flow is toward the Rock River. The topography consists of a highlands region on the north side of the site. The landfill topography is flat with a gentle southward slope, with the exception of an abrupt 20-foot elevation change at the center. Morrison City Dump operated as a landfill from approximately 1953 to 1971 and covers an area of 3.5-acres. The surrounding area is residential and rural with about 5,000 people within a three-mile radius. The site operated as an unpermitted disposal area that burned refuge and accepted solvents from General Electric. As of October 1, 1972, the site was closed and covered with seven to eight feet of soil and seeded. General Electric reported that 25,000 gallons of 1,1,1- trichlroethene was poured into the ground in 1981. In 1989, an enforcement notice was issued to responsible parties requiring them to undertake corrective action activities. Neither of the parties cleaned up the dump.

Will

Bennitt Landfill
Will County - Rockdale

Bennitt Landfill is 30-acres in size and located north of Joliet, next to the Joliet Sand & Gravel pit operation. The Illinois/Michigan canal is located one-half mile west of the landfill. This inactive, unpermitted landfill has accepted wastes, septic sludge and landscape waste since 1923. Landfilling activities occurred unabated and without regulation until the early 1960s. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the local public health department cited repeated violations including open burning, waste contamination in an adjacent stream and lack of cover material. Bennitt Landfill consists of openly dumped refuse and numerous deteriorated drums. Landfill topography is uneven and irregular with elevations approximately 30 to 40 feet higher than surrounding areas to the south and north. A steep 20 to 30 foot embankment runs along the southern edge of the site. Exposed debris, along with drum remnants, is visible throughout the site. An unnamed intermittent stream flows under the western portion of Bennitt Landfill via an underground drainage pipe and emerges through an outfall at the embankment along the southwestern corner. Most of the landfill is overgrown with small trees and brush.

Celotex
Will County - Joliet

This 10-acre landfill is located on a 24-acre site adjacent to the Illinois River. This site was a subsidiary of the Jim Walter Corporation and part of a former asphalt roofing manufacturer, that operated from the 1950's to the mid-1980's. In 1989, a Federal Comprehensive Environmental RCRA inspection found polynuclear aromatic compound soil contamination and runoff into the Illinois River. Additionally, the RCRA listed hazardous waste "K087" (decanter tank for sludge from coking operations) was detected in above ground storage tanks that have since been removed. In 1997, resurfacing and recontouring of the site was accomplished to address surface runoff. In 1999, U.S.EPA performed some repair, which included installing some cover over the contaminated soils. Furthermore, U.S.EPA recommended the excavation and removal of benzene impacted soils for off-site treatment. The U.S.EPA plans to assess this landfill and the Illinois EPA does not plan to take any state-funded corrective action until the U.S. EPA review is complete.

Wilmington Municipal
Will County - Wilmington

This five-acre landfill operated from 1971 to November 1992 and is located approximately one-half mile west of the intersection of Strip Mine Road and Illinois Route 129, near Wilmington. A shooting range is located next to this landfill. There is evidence of trespassing, including deer hunting stands and open dumping. This inactive landfill is owned and was operated by the City of Wilmington. The cap has gullies that are at least six feet deep. There are leachate problems and ponded water can be found on top of the landfill. There is only sparse vegetation and poor or nonexistent topsoil. Woody bushes and trees exist among exposed garbage. Wilmington Municipal is subject to enforcement action for failure to complete closure.