Title
Summary of Lake County Health Department & Community Health Center’s Investigation and Responses to Countryside Landfill Odor Complaints
Staff Summary
§ LCHD Staff will present a summary of the actions and investigation with regard to the Countryside Landfill odor complaints.
Body
Beginning the week of September 8, 2008, the Lake County Health Department (LCHD) Solid Waste Unit began receiving calls from residents in the Prairie Crossing Subdivision regarding odors from the Countryside Landfill. Some residents also reported sore throats, headaches and respiratory problems that they believed were caused by the landfill gas. Upon investigation, the odor complaints were found to be valid.
The offsite odors are most likely related to complications with the completion of the new cell (5C), and specifically with accumulations of water from record precipitation in 2008. Water that accumulated in 5C while under construction and that seeped into adjacent Cell 5B’s waste mass caused odors both from anaerobic ponded water in open 5C and increased gas production in the 5B waste mass.
Countryside Landfill, Inc. (CLI) completed installation of eight additional gas collection wells in the southeast section of the landfill, where the odors were originating. No odors were reported in October but odors recurred in November.
After reviewing ongoing odor control activities and plans by CLI, the Health Department’s Solid Waste Unit submitted a draft Violation Notice to Illinois EPA and the Lake County States Attorney for review. The Violation Notice was issued on December 4, 2008.
CLI installed eleven additional gas collection wells in December, 2008, and participated in a public meeting with affected residents. As of December 29, 2008, offsite odors have not been noted by LCHD staff; however occasional complaints from nearby residents have been received on the LCHD odor hotline.
Health Department staff has reviewed the November 2007 onsite air sampling results pro...
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