News Releases - 2002

Illinois Landfill Capacity Remains Sufficient

Springfield, Ill. -- The remaining capacity for landfills in Illinois is sufficient for the next 15 years, according to the most recent data from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. The annual report, "Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management and Landfill Capacity in Illinois," also provides statistics on landscape waste compost facilities, waste transfer stations, waste generation and recycling, incineration and solid waste planning efforts.

Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano commented, "Even though overall statewide landfill capacity remains good, we must continue to increase our efforts to recycle and reduce waste." Local recycling coordinators continue to report increasing amounts of materials being recycled in the state.

The number of active landfills remains the same at 53. The landfill capacity ranges from seven years in the Chicago Metropolitan region, to 40 years in the Peoria/Quad Cities region. The report states that a new landfill opened in late 2000 in the Metro East St. Louis area, and two landfills are under development in Southern Illinois.

This year's report features information about the permitting process in Illinois, including the requirement for financial responsibility of any landfill owner or operator. Activities required for proper closure of a landfill are also described. Another feature new this year is a comprehensive map showing the location of active, inactive and recently closed landfills throughout the state.

During 2000, Illinois' 53 landfills reported accepting 49.3 million cubic yards of nonhazardous solid wastes; this is down from just over 50 million cubic yards in 1999. The amount of disposed waste decreased 2.5 percent and the capacity declined more than 6.2 percent.

The report details waste management activities in each of seven Illinois EPA administrative regions and it lists the volumes of wastes landfilled. About 10 percent of solid wastes landfilled in Illinois in 2000, or about 5.1 million cubic yards (1.5 million tons), came from out-of-state. About three-fourths of this originated in Missouri. Although haulers also transported solid wastes to other states, they are not required to report this to Illinois. Therefore, the Illinois EPA cannot provide the volume exported.

Regional information identifies each landfill and projects the year each is expected to reach capacity. These projections, completed and provided by the landfills, assume no new capacity will be added.

In 2000, 83 transfer stations handled nearly one-third of the waste landfilled in Illinois. State officials expect this number to increase in upcoming years. The state's 47 permitted composting facilities processed over 363,000 tons of landscape wastes. The state's only nonhazardous solid-waste incinerator reported just over 200,000 tons of waste incinerated in 2000, but this facility closed in November 2000.

The report is available for viewing or downloading on the Illinois EPA web site at: http://www.epa.state.il.us/land/landfill-capacity/2000/index.html, or you may request a copy by writing to the Illinois EPA's Solid Waste Management Section, P. O. Box 19276, Springfield, Ill. 62794-9276, or by calling 217-785-8604.