News Releases - 2001

Permit Issued to Allow Construction of Perry Ridge Landfill

Springfield, Ill. -- Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano announced that a permit for the construction of a new landfill in Perry County has been issued to GERE Properties, Inc. The permit will allow GERE Properties, Inc. and its consultant Rapps Engineering and Applied Science, to begin construction of the first cell of the new landfill. The landfill, named Perry Ridge Landfill, will be located three miles northwest of DuQuoin in Perry County.

The permit allows the company to construct a 373-acre landfill with 141 acres of disposal area. Once operational, the landfill would have the permitted capacity to contain 14,872,900 cubic yards of waste.

The applicant can begin construction of the landfill; however, they will not be allowed to accept any waste until they have applied for and received an operational permit. Once construction of the first cell is completed, the owner will be required to submit an application to the Illinois EPA to operate the facility. The permit is issued in this two-phased approach in order to ensure that the landfill is built in compliance with the Illinois landfill regulations.

According to Director Cipriano, "With the more stringent requirements placed on the construction and operation of landfills since the adoption of new regulations, they tend to be much larger and better managed than before."

As part of the quality assurance process, the owner must perform a series of tests on the landfill and its liner. These tests help to confirm that the landfill has been constructed as stated in the approved landfill design. These tests help assure the long-term stability and safety of the landfill.

Under solid waste regulations, all landfills must meet strict siting and design criteria to protect the environment. These standards include systems for synthetic and compacted clay liner construction, leachate collection and management, surface water control, groundwater monitoring, final closure cap construction and financial assurance.

The Illinois EPA Marion Regional Office and the Perry County Health Department will monitor construction activities to ensure compliance with the permit. In addition, regular reports are a required part of the compliance process.