PEORIA -- Here's a news release with vital information:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Please announce the following:
Peoria Disposal Company (PDC) and Waste Management to Present Proposals for City/County Landfill
PDC – the company who waged extensive legal battle against County over denial of Hazardous Waste Landfill Expansion now bidding on running City/County public landfill
Who: The Peoria City/County Municipal Waste Landfill Committee will hold a business meeting and then hear bid presentations for the expansion of the public landfill on Cottonwood Road.
When: Thursday, June 4th, 8:00 a.m. The meeting agenda shows the presentations of landfill expansion bids as item #6 - http://www.ci. peoria.il. us/landfill- committee.
Where: Peoria County Building, corner of Main and Jefferson, downtown Peoria, 4th Floor, Peoria County Boardroom
The Peoria City/County Landfill Committee will hear proposals for the development of a new landfill cell at the public waste facility located west of Peoria on Cottonwood Road, during their committee meeting June 4th, beginning at 8:00 a.m. in the Peoria County Boardroom.
The company bid presentations are expected to last one hour each. Public comments will be allowed at the end of the meeting after the company bid presentations.
Peoria Families Against Toxic Waste (PFATW) and Heart of Illinois Group Sierra Club (HOISC) have many concerns about PDC’s possible involvement in the City/County Landfill, and encourage all interested citizens to attend Thursday’s hearing to express these concerns.
Questions over PDC's intents for the public landfill exist. The City/County Landfill is located seven miles west on Route 8 from the PDC Hazardous Waste Landfill and waste treatment plant.
Several months ago PDC obtained approval for delisting Electric Arc Furnace Dust Waste (EAF), a toxic waste, so that the treated form of the waste could be put in any municipal waste landfill in the state. PDC estimated that up to 95,000 cubic yards a year of EAF could be hauled to municipal landfills and stated it would be hauled to their Indian Creek landfill at Hopedale in Tazewell County. The Indian Creek landfill is about 30 miles from the PDC treatment plant, presenting the City/County landfill as a much closer option for dumping these hazardous materials.
Peoria Disposal Company has also filed multiple legal appeals against Peoria County over the denial of the PDC hazardous waste landfill expansion on Southport Road, defeated in May 2006 by the County Board in a vote of 12-6 against expansion. PDC tried to expand their hazardous waste landfill without local siting approval by requesting a permit revision from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).
PDC's currently pending appeal continues to cost the county money since the IEPA denied this attempt to circumvent the county expansion denial. These appeals against the county have cost approximately $100,000 in legal fees, and could present conflicting interests in this situation.
Another element of concern to PFATW and HOISC is curbside recycling availability. The County currently has four recycling drop-off locations and the City of Peoria offers an option for residents to subscribe to paid curbside recycling pick-up, but Peoria is lacking in free city-wide curbside recycling.
Citizens should be asking how much landfill space could be saved by having up-to-date curbside recycling, delaying the need for a new cell. Studies also show significant cost savings for both the hauler and the recycler can be achieved with curbside pick up. Peoria Heights recently instituted curbside recycling pick up for all residents, as well.
Waste Management has operated waste cell #2 at the municipal waste landfill since the mid 1990's and the current waste area is expected to reach capacity and be closed by 2018.
It is worth noting that Waste Management's Peoria City/County Landfill manager was hired by PDC about a year ago. The RFP for the new landfill cell was discussed in the May 2008 minutes of the City/County Landfill Committee.
Please contact Cara Rosson (PFATW) at 309-339-9733 with any questions. -30-
Thanks to the activists in these two groups for keeping their eyes on what's going on!
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