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1994 ILLINOIS LANDFILL DISPOSAL CAPACITY REPORT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Illinois Solid Waste Management Act, enacted in September 1986, established the
State's commitment to address solid waste handling, based on a solid waste management
hierarchy as follows:
- volume reduction at the source;
- recycling and reuse;
- combustion with energy recovery;
- combustion for volume reduction; and
- disposal in landfill facilities.
Under this Act, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is required to
publish an annual report "regarding the projected disposal capacity available for
solid waste in sanitary landfills". This is the eighth annual report prepared to meet
that requirement. The information presented in this report reflects the reporting period
January 1, 1994 - December 31, 1994.
Remaining Landfills and Capacity - The number of active solid
waste landfills in Illinois declined from 146 in 1987 to 59 in 1994. Solid waste accepted
at the State's landfills in the year ending December 31, 1994 totaled 47.4 million cubic
yards. This disposal volume was 6.3 million cubic yards more than in 1993, representing an
increase of 16 percent. Since 1987, the annual amount landfilled has decreased by 3.1
million cubic yards, or six percent.
Based upon the reported remaining landfill capacity, Illinois has 362.1
million cubic yards of capacity remaining. The 1994 capacity includes 42.3 million
cubic yards of added capacity resulting from five landfill expansions and one new
landfill. At current disposal volume and capacities, Illinois has between seven and nine
years of remaining landfill capacity if no further capacity is added. The reported
remaining landfill capacity decreased from 363.4 million cubic yards in 1993 to 362.1
million cubic yards in 1994.
Local and Regional Shortages - Problems in waste handling
capacity are more probable on a local or regional level within the next three to five
years than a statewide disposal crisis. At current disposal volume, the Chicago
Metropolitan Region and the Southern Illinois Region of the State will face shortages of
landfill capacity before other regions of the State. New or expanded waste transfer
facilities are expected to be sited in many areas of the State and soonest in the two
areas mentioned above. Increased transportation distances to disposal facilities will also
result.
Ownership and Operation- The majority of the State's landfills
are privately owned and operated. Eighty-five percent of all landfill facilities are
privately owned and operated and contain 83 percent of the available capacity. These
facilities accepted 79 percent of the waste disposed in 1994. In contrast, seven percent
of all landfills with eight percent of the capacity are publicly owned and operated and
accepted 12 percent of the waste disposed. The remaining capacity is at landfills where
the ownership/operation is a public-private mix (eight percent).
Solid Waste Management - Data collected on the management of
non-hazardous waste indicates that in 1994 14.2 million tons of solid waste were
landfilled; 0.2 million tons were incinerated; and 0.3 million tons were composted. In
previous years, the total waste handled included amounts of materials collected for
recycling. In 1994, data was not collected regarding the tons recycled, but rather percent
of municipal waste recycled in individual units of local government (see #5).
Recycling Data - Due to the difficulty of obtaining accurate
recycling data from recycling facilities in the State in past years, a survey was sent to
each county's Recycling Coordinator (Coordinator) to collect 1994 or most current county
recycling rates available. The recycling survey was sent to 102 county Coordinators and
four solid waste planning agencies in Cook County.
Of the 106 surveys distributed, 75 were completed and returned,
representing a 71 percent response rate. The recycling rates range from less than one
percent to 36 percent. The weighted average of these recycling rates is 19 percent. Due to
different sources of recycling data (county surveys, Needs Assessment reports, and
Municipal Waste Management Plans), fifty percent of the recycling data were reported for
different years other than the 1994 calendar year.
Counties Without a Landfill - In 1994, 62 counties were without a
landfill as compared to 58 counties in 1993. In three years, 72 counties will be without a
landfill if no new facilities are built. Eighteen of the 59 active non-hazardous solid
waste landfills can be expected to reach capacity in three years; an additional seven
landfills will reach capacity in five years under current development and operating
permits.
Illinois Waste Generation Rate - Using the average generation
rate of 6.5 pounds per capita per day, in conjunction with the available county generation
rates and a State population of 11,751,774 indicates that Illinois generates about 13.7
million tons of solid waste per year.
Out-of-State Waste - Reporting requirements regarding the state
of origin of landfilled waste became effective January 1, 1992. In 1994, 31 non-hazardous
solid waste landfills (46 percent of the reporting landfills) reported receiving 4.2
million cubic yards of out-of-state waste for the time period January 1, 1994 through
December 31, 1994. The amount of out-of-state waste received during this time frame was
0.7 million cubic yards more than was received in 1993, representing an increase of 19
percent. At three of the landfills, the out-of-state waste represented 50 percent or more
of the waste disposed of annually. The three largest contributors of out-of-state waste
were Missouri with 2.9 million cubic yards (69 percent), Iowa with 0.5 million cubic yards
(12 percent) and Indiana with 0.4 million cubic yards (8 percent).
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