News Releases - 1998

Multi-County Landfill Anti-Pollution Work Nearly Done

Villa Grove, Ill. -- Cleanup work and capping is nearly complete on an abandoned 30-acre landfill towering over the Douglas County landscape that has caused foul odors and has exposed rotting garbage and potentially hazardous industrial waste.

The more than $4 million remediation project is one of the most ambitious ever undertaken at an abandoned landfill in Illinois and included pumping out a 40-million gallon lake of storm water created within the site.

"The removal of these significant environmental hazards would not have occurred without the strong support and cooperation of local officials and legislators," said Gary King, manager of Illinois EPA's Division of Remedial Management.

In addition to approximately $3.5 million from the state Hazardous Waste Fund, Rep. Tim Johnson secured an additional $500,000 state general revenue fund appropriation for Villa Grove towards the project cost. An additional $238,000 came from financial assurance and post-closure funds.

"With a significant backlog of abandoned landfill sites, the state Hazardous Waste Fund does not provide enough resources to meet all of the needs, so the additional appropriation was needed to finish this project," King added.

Rising 50 feet above the surrounding terrain, Multi-County Landfill posed significant engineering challenges. Not the least of them was the flooded landfill cell lake that had swollen to four acres in size and 35 feet in depth, causing severe erosion. In 1997, 40 million gallons of water was pumped from the cell into Long Point Slough. The drained area is now being filled to shore up slope stability, prevent migration of leachate and provide control for the landfill gases that were discharging into the water.

Early in 1998, major stability problems occurred along the north landfill wall. A 400 foot long concrete barrier wall five feet wide and 20 feet deep was installed. The landfill clay cap was tied into this wall and a leachate collection trench was installed.

More than 120,000 cubic yards of silt for use as backfill material and for topsoil has been obtained from dredging at Patterson Springs Lake.

As capped and compacted areas are completed, silt will be delivered spread and seeded for a grassy vegetative cover. The work is expected to be finished by the end of this year.

"This project is a prime example of how important it is to properly close landfills, and if that does not occur, why we must act to protect our environment now and in the future," King added.