using innovative techniques at chicago's cluster sites, illinois epa

PPrrooggrreessssEnvironmental

State of IllinoisRod R. Blagojevich, Governor

Illinois Environmental Protection AgencyDouglas P. Scott, Director

Using Innovative Techniques at Chicago’s Cluster Sites

www.epa.state.il www.illinois.gov

Vol. XXXIII, No.1 Winter-Spring 2007

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Vol. XXXIII, No. 1Winter - Spring 2007

Environmental PPrrooggrreessss is pub-lished by the Illinois EnvironmentalProtection Agency Douglas P. Scott, Director.

Please send address changes and othercorrespondence to: EnvironmentalProgress, Illinois EPA, P.O. Box19276, 1021 North Grand Avenue East,Springfield, Ill. 62794-9276. Questionsor comments may be directed to 217-557-9069.

“There is no real economicsecurity, opportunity or quality of life for our citi-zens if we do not place ahigh priority on protectingthe environment.”

Rod R. BlagojevichGovernor of Illinois

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3. Director’s Viewpoint:Clean Air Progress: Illinois shows leadership on reducing mercury, smog and soot, and greenhouse gases.

5. Paxton II/Lake Calumet Cluster Sites:With some help from goats and reconstruction of a major expressway, IEPA moves forward on addressing extensive environmental contamination near Lake Calumet in Southeast Chicago.

8. Right-To-Know:Illinois EPA implements new law requiring increased notification and community outreach for environmental impacts on private wells and other hazards.

11. IRID:New Illinois Removes Ilegal Dumps (IRID) program cleans up festering open dumps around the state.

12. Governor’s Environmental Corps:IEPA summer internship program that matches college students with Agency mentors continues to be a success.

14. Pollution Prevention Interns:IEPA program placing college students with com-panies has produced significant cost savings and environmental benefits since 1989.

15. LEAP:Lake Education Assistance Program fosters better understanding of the need to protect water resources for Illinois students.

16. Robbie Lawerence:Nine-year-old Pekin boy is honored for his key role in obtaining a clean water supply for his subdivision.

18. Re-Use It Center:Kane County organization is recognized for innovative projects benefiting the community and environment.

19. New Laws:Roundup of recent state environmeental legislation

20. Green Pays on Green Days:Program to enlist citizens in the Chicago metro area to help reduce air pollution completes its fifth summer with record participation level.

21. Annual Air Quality Report:Latest statewide data from IEPA air monitoring network.

22. Annual Landfill Capacity Report:Latest information on the capacity of Illinois’landfills and solid waste disposal practices.

23. Bill Compton Award:New IEPA award to recognize corporate environ-mental stewardship named in honor of longtime Caterpillar Co. environmental manager.

24. State Fair:Recyclable Racecar wins awards and is a hit with State Fairgoers.

25. Korean Visit:South Korean Ministry of the Environment officials exchange views with IEPA staff on water protec-tion strategies.

25. Brownfields:Galesburg, Granite City, Broadview and Blue Island receive IEPA grants to help clean up con-taminated sites for redevelopment.

27. Clean School Bus:Effingham and Taylorville join Clean School Bus Program

28. Drinking Water Infrastructure Loans:Litchfield, Geneva and Sycamore get IEPA low-interest loans to upgrade or expand drinking water treatment facilities.

29. Wastewater Infrastructure Loans:Evanston and Rockford area get IEPA low-interest loans to upgrade sewers and wastewater treatment plant.

30. Youth and the Environment:Posters/Poetry, Green Youth, Science Fair, Earth Stewardship Day

Graphic Design andProduction:Beth Anderson

Photography:Bob Wiatrolik

Editor:Dennis McMurray

Contributors: Brenna Coffman, NinaDugger, Carol Fuller, Steve Kolsto,Stan Komperda, Mara McGinnis,Dennis McMurray, Kristi Morris-Richards, Eric Runkel

Front Cover: Goats eat weeds and help maintain prairie grass vegetation on the re-contoured cover for PaxtonII landfill near Lake Calumet in Chicago.

Back Cover: Parade of trucks carries excavated soil from the Illinois Department of Transportation’s DanRyan Expressway Reconstruction Project for use in the capping of the Lake Calumet Cluster Sites

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Winter - Spring 2007

Director’s viewpoint

by Director Douglas P. Scott

of the federal plan, the reductions required for Illinois coal-fired power plantswould be an estimated 47 percent by 2010 and 69 percent by 2018.

“The new federal mercury regulations don’t go far enough in protecting thepublic from what we know are very dangerous emissions. That’s why we areproposing much stronger regulations here in Illinois to make sure people cansafely enjoy our air and water, and the fish from our rivers and lakes,”Governor Blagojevich stated.

Governor Blagojevich and Illinois EPA were concerned that levels ofreductions under the federal rule were too little and too late and would impedethe state’s efforts to encourage clean-coal technology that will allow Illinois’abundant coal reserves to be used in an environmentally responsible manner. Inaddition, we were concerned that under the federal rule, operators of older,higher-polluting plants would have an unacceptable “escape clause” ——anoption to buy interstate mercury emission “credits” from operators of cleanerplants. Potentially, Illinois’ oldest plants in greatest need of controls would beable to buy credits in other states and not have to make any real reductions ontheir own. Interstate trading could also aggravate existing mercury “hot spots”in our state. Our state plan specifically does not allow for the trading, purchas-ing or the banking of allowances, ensuring that reductions occur both statewidein Illinois and at every power plant in order to address local impacts and reduce“hot spots.”

The Governor’s plan was strongly backed by a variety of major health andenvironmental advocacy organizations across the state and thousands of indi-vidual citizens wrote the Illinois Pollution Control Board in support of it.

During the course of several hearings before the Illinois Pollution ControlBoard, and review by the legislative Joint Committee on Administrative Rules,on behalf of Governor Blagojevich, Illinois EPA also reached some landmarkagreements with the state’s three largest coal-fired power plant operators. Theagreements with Ameren, Dynegy and Midwest Generation will not onlyachieve mercury reductions but also significantly reduce nitrogen oxides andsulfur dioxide emissions that contribute to smog and soot and can aggravateheart and lung diseases. These bonus reductions, under a voluntary “multi-pol-lutant strategy” the companies agreed to support, will also be substantiallyhigher than federal regulations would have required. At the same time it willgive the operators the flexibility to use control technologies that reduce severalpollutants. I want to personally commend these companies for stepping up tothe plate and showing leadership in the power industry by joining us in movingforward on cleaner air.

The Pollution Control Board gave its final approval to the mercury rule lastNovember 2, declaring that it met the criteria of being technically feasible andeconomically reasonable and “allows flexibility to achieve compliance and willprovide health benefits for the citizens of Illinois.” The Joint Committee onAdministrative Rules unanimously endorsed the rule on December 12, 2006.

Meanwhile, Governor Blagojevich has also announced a series of majorinitiatives to make Illinois a leader among the states in the critical fight againstglobal warming, certainly one of the great environmental challenges facing allof us. We share the concerns of scientists that unabated global warming could have serious consequences in Illinois and across the Midwest, includingdecreased agricultural production, more frequent flooding and disruption ofsewage infrastructure and introduction of invasive species that could disruptnatural ecosystems.

In August, Governor Blagojevich unveiled an ambitious energy independ-ence plan that includes several elements that will reduce greenhouse gas emis-sions, including the investment of $775 million to help build ten new coal gasi-

Illinois Takes National Leadership Role on ReducingMercury and GreenhouseGases

While overall outdoor air qual-ity in Illinois has steadily improvedin the past three decades, Illinoishas taken some additional majorsteps forward more recently, show-ing regional and national leadershipin addressing mercury and otherpollutants from coal-fired powerplants and reducing greenhousegases that contribute to globalwarming.

Governor Rod Blagojevichkicked off a series of importantclean air initiatives in January 2006with his plan to reduce mercuryemissions from the state’s 21 coal-fired power plants by 90 percent byJune 2009.

Governor Blagojevich andIllinois EPA felt strongly that a fed-eral mercury reduction plan final-ized by U.S. EPA in May 2005 didnot go far enough in addressingmercury emissions into the air thataccumulate in fish and can causehealth hazards, particularly variousneurological problems, for unbornchildren, infants and young chil-dren. If Illinois had not opted out

address a broad range of air emis-sion issues. We have held a numberof meetings with other Midwesternstates, as well as states on the EastCoast to work on multi-state strate-gies to address air pollution thatdoes not respect state borders. InMay, Illinois joined 30 other statesas charter members of The ClimateRegistry, the largest multi-stateeffort to address climate change.Illinois helped create the neworganization which will providenational standards for businessesand government to measure andtrack their greenhouse gas emis-sions over time. Although partici-pation is voluntary, several compa-nies, including ones operating inIllinois, have indicated their sup-port and intent to participate.

Last fall I was also privilegedto attend the national PewConference on Global Warming inWashington and to visit withCalifornia environmental officialson their efforts to address green-house gas emissions. The informa-tion obtained from those meetingswill be invaluable as the AdvisoryGroup does its work and also inmy capacity as the new Chair ofthe Air Committee of theEnvironmental Council of theStates, the national organization ofstate and territorial environmentalagencies.

While there are certainlyadvantages to uniform nationalenvironmental regulations, whenthe federal government falls shortof its responsibilities, as we believeis the case with mercury and green-house gas reductions, it is impor-tant that our state governments stepup and take progressive and inno-vative actions. GovernorBlagojevich and Illinois EPA arecommitted to continue doing justthat to improve and protect the airour citizens breathe.

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fication plants and construction of a pipeline to move carbon dioxide capturedfrom coal gasification plants to oilfields in Southeastern Illinois. In November,a Request for Proposals was issued for the pipeline that would transport thecarbon dioxide captured by the coal gasification plants and use the pressurizedcarbon dioxide to extract additional oil in Illinois. Royalties from the recoveredoil and gas would subsidize the cost of the pipeline and for permanently storingthe carbon dioxide underground. This innovative plan combines a reduction ofgreenhouse gas emissions while allowing Illinois to use its own resources, suchas our abundant supplies of coal, to meet more of our energy needs. The newcoal gasification plants, the carbon dioxide pipeline and new ethanol andbiodiesel production plants will eventually supply 10 percent of our electricityneeds, 25 percent of our diesel fuel needs and 25 percent of our natural gasdemand under the Governor’s plan.

Besides a goal of making E-85 (ethanol) fuel available throughout the stateas well as increased biodiesel and ethanol production and availability, theGovernor’s energy plan includes financial and technical incentives to makeIllinois a national leader in wind power, such as a recent grant to move forwarda wind farm in McLean County that will provide renewable energy for about120,000 homes. The Governor has committed to one of the largest wind powerpurchases by any state government through a recent agreement with City WaterLight and Power in Springfield involving sufficient energy for 141 state facili-ties.

In October, Governor Blagojevich announced his Global WarmingInitiative, including issuing an Executive Order creating an Illinois ClimateChange Advisory Group the Governor asked me to chair, that will take an in-depth look at what policies and strategies Illinois can adopt to reduce green-house gas emissions in both the public and private sectors. The Advisory Grouphas broad spectrum representation, including business, labor, energy and agri-culture sector representatives, scientists, economists and environmental advo-cates and is currently working with a leading environmental think tank, WorldResources Institute, in evaluating potential options for Illinois to reduce green-house gas emissions, with a report and policy recommendations to theGovernor anticipated by July.

As part of the initiative, Illinois will become only the second state (afterNew Mexico) to join the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) and will make avoluntary, but legally binding, commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsfrom the electricity and fuel needed to operate state facilities and motor vehi-cles.

The Executive Order builds on previous initiatives by GovernorBlagojevich and Illinois EPA to address global climate change that include astrong component of market-based trading systems. In January, for example,Illinois became the first state in the nation to offer farmers and other landown-ers the opportunity to earn and sell greenhouse gas emissions credits by adopt-ing various conservation practices to limit airborne levels of carbon dioxide andmethane. The Illinois Conservation and Climate Initiative has enrolled around600 landowners with more than 115,000 acres as of late spring of this year.Credits are sold through CCX and participants can earn and sell carbon creditsthrough such practices as utilizing methane manure digesters, conservationtillage and growing trees and grasses.

As we build up greenhouse gas emission credits to trade from furtherreductions from state facilities and vehicles, we are particularly pleased to workwith CCX, which has an established track record and is an Illinois-based com-pany, with more than 100 members, including large industrial companies, utili-ties, universities, cities, and non-governmental organizations. Members basedin Illinois include Baxter Healthcare International, Motorola, Square DElectronics, and the City of Chicago.

As Chair of the Midwest Governor’s Association, Governor Blagojevichhas also challenged our neighboring Midwestern states to work together to

Starting at least as far back as the 1940s, an 87-acremarshy area in southeast Chicago near Lake Calumetthat had been strip-mined for sand to be used in the steelmills of the area, became a massive dumping ground forlarge amounts of industrial and municipal waste from themetropolitan region, as thousands of drums of chemicals,slag from steel mills and solvents from refineries wereeither disposed in the strip-mined areas, or were oftenimproperly managed at an incinerator that formerly oper-ated there.

With most of the disposal activity starting longbefore environmental regulations took effect, difficultyin identifying responsible parties and landowners, and insome cases parties continuing to operate illegally in defi-ance of enforcement efforts, the “Lake Calumet Cluster

Sites” has been one of the biggest environmental cleanupchallenges in the Chicago area and in the State ofIllinois.

Sampling of soil and groundwater in the area hadlong revealed a toxic stew of chemicals, such as PCBs,organics, heavy metals——more than 130 chemicals inall detected at concentrations above what triggers correc-tive or remedial action.

Fortunately, there are few nearby residences to thisindustrial area, but there is a surprisingly rich ecosystemof marshes and abundance of birds and wildlife, includ-ing Indian Ridge Marsh, which is the second largestknown rookery of the black-crowned night heron in thestate, for example.

In early 1999, an engineering study done for IllinoisEPA warned of the potential of a catastrophic collapse of

one or more slopes of the nearby towering 170-foot highPaxton II landfill, actually the highest non-structuralpoint in Cook County at its top. Unless something wasdone, the mountain of garbage could collapse causing a“garbalanche” releasing several hundred thousand cubicyards of garbage, spilling millions of gallons of contami-nated leachate (garbage mixed with rainwater) onto adja-cent properties, attracting and dispersing disease-carry-ing vermin, and igniting potential fires and explosionswhen the high internal temperatures and flammablegases would suddenly be exposed to oxygen. Improperlyconstructed and poorly operated, the landfill hadextremely steep and unstable slopes as well as littlecover over much of the refuse.

The Legislature responded to a request by theIllinois EPA for state funds to avert this potential disasterand starting later in 1999, work started on a stabilizationeffort to reduce the threat of collapse from ongoing ero-sion and the buildup of liquids within the landfill. Thetop had developed a bowl-shaped depression, collectingrain and snow that percolated into the landfill and erodedthe sides. In the meantime, Illinois EPA continued to

work closely with Chicago’s fire, emergency response,police and street departments on contingency plans incase a garbalanche did occur. As the stabilization workbegan, on the street in front of Paxton II, the City evenerected what is likely the only street sign of its kind inthe nation: “Caution: Landfill Slope Failure Zone Next1/2 Mile.”


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Work Moves Forward on Lake Calumet Cluster Sites/Paxton IILandfill Repair Maintenance

Area was historic industrial and municipal waste dumping ground for Chicago region

Great Pyrenees sheep dogs Spike and Jack were raisedwith the goats at Paxton II and protect them from poten-tial predators.

Mary Stowe of Rainy Acres Farm in Wilmington man-ages the goat herd at Paxton II.

Over the next five years, around $20 million wasspent extensively re-grading, re-contouring and cappingthe top 15 acres of Paxton II to prevent erosion. TheIllinois EPA also installed an innovative drainage systemthat utilizes used tires, as well as an extensive leachatemanagement system that collects an average of 10,000gallons per day. Twenty-four gas collection wells and aflare have also been installed to capture and destroymethane and other gases.

One of the last steps in the project was the plantingof prairie grasses on the new cap and the slopes of thelandfill to aid in preventing erosion.

But a problem arose when phragmites, a tall reedthat grows up to 13 feet high, begin crowding all theother plants out in the first two years of 2003-2004, notedStan Komperda, the former IEPA Bureau of Land projectmanager who oversaw most of the Paxton II stabilization

work. Komperda came up with the idea of goat grazingafter hearing of their use to control vegetation inCalifornia. Because of the size of the site and steepslopes, normal mowing and weeding operations would bedifficult and expensive, but it was a natural terrain forgoats, Komperda noted. “The goats eat the phragmitesand like the broadleaf plants and tend to ignore the grass-es so we decided to give them a try and they have beeneffective and the prairie grasses are now taller than thesurrounding weeds.”

The Paxton II goat herd came from Rainy AcresFarm in Wilmington, operated by Dave and Mary Stowe.During the first spring and summer in 2005, wild dogsand coyotes posed a threat to the goats, so livestockfences and pens were added the next year,

Jack and Spike joined the Paxton II site maintenanceteam. Jack and Spike are Great Pyrenees dogs, a breedrenowned as shepherds, each weighing about 120 pounds.They were raised with the goats and trained to herd themand protect them from potential predators. Jack and Spikeexcelled at protecting their flock and no goats were lostin 2006, as they made their daily contribution of grazingup and down the slopes of Paxton II and eating not only

the phragmites but other weeds, such as Canada thistleand sage that also tend to crowd out the prairie grasses.The prairie grasses are the most desirable plants becausethey are the most effective in preventing erosion. Thegoats were trained to eat the Canada thistle on the landfill

by mixing garlic powder with water and spraying it onseveral of the plants. The lush vegetation that covers thesite now dramatizes how far Paxton II has come frombeing a “really big pile of rotting garbage that had novegetation—-it was like a moonscape,” Komperda said.

Besides the domesticated goats, wildlife such aswhite-tailed deer and hawks can now be seen on PaxtonII and the adjacent Lake Calumet Cluster Sites. Otherwildlife includes pheasants, geese, cranes, box turtles,ducks, and seagulls.

Meanwhile, during the Paxton II project, communitygroups, Illinois EPA, U.S. EPA, and the City of ChicagoDepartment of the Environment, who had been meetingsince the mid-1990s, continued to discuss strategies forimplementing a wider cleanup that would address theCluster Sites’ problem of a lack of proper capping, poten-tially allowing the area to be used as open space withvery controlled public viewing of birds and otherwildlife. The Lake Calumet Cluster Sites Workgroupbegan with a petition from the Southeast EnvironmentalTask Force to U.S. EPA asking for Superfund monies toaddress this group of individual but adjacent sites. Theiridea was to “cluster” or bundle the sites so as to qualifyfor the National Priority List (NPL), better known asSuperfund.

The Cluster Sites consist of the Alburn Incinerator,U.S. Drum II, Paxton Avenue Lagoons and “UnnamedParcel.” IEPA had supervised surface waste removal andremedial work at adjacent Paxton I Landfill in recentyears and at the Paxton Avenue Lagoons over a decadeearlier and U.S. EPA had done some toxic wasteremovals in the 1980s at Alburn Incinerator and both

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Hundreds of trucks line up to drop their loads of soilfrom the IDOT Dan Ryan Expressway ReconstructionProject for use as cover in the remediation of the formerPaxton I waste disposal area.

This photo, taken in 1989, showed standing water atthe former Paxton I disposal and incinerator area.


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agencies had done prior waste removals at U.S. Drum.Alburn was probably utilized as a landfill prior to an

incineration operation for an assortment of chemicalsfrom 1977-1983. In 1983, an explosion of some drums onthe site prompted an emergency removal of some of thematerials by U.S. EPA. The U.S. Drum site was used as adumping area for industrial municipal waste since at leastthe 1940s and starting in the 1970s was used as an illegalwaste transfer and solvent/petroleum recovery facilityand a drum storage area. In 1984, U.S. EPA removedmore than 1,500 observable drums, 1,750 barrels inberms and 34,000 gallons of liquid waste from the site.The Unnamed Parcel site was used for landfilling opera-tions and also accepted waste from local steel mills.

In 2000, Illinois EPA initiated a significant investiga-tion of the Cluster Sites, including digging 134 test pitsand taking 283 samples. It and subsequent investigationshave indicated that the Alburn and U.S. Drum sites, forexample, still contain wastes at depths of more than 30feet.

Approximately 400 potentially responsible partiesthat had sent waste materials to the area were identifiedand U.S. EPA held negotiations with many of them formore than two years without success on reaching anagreement to fund an acceptable cap for the site. Thecapping discussions for the 87-acre Cluster Sites werecomplicated by the daunting cost of bringing in clean filldirt and other materials to cover the waste areas and col-lect methane gas emissions. Dealing with the groundwa-ter contamination was also at issue but ultimatelydeferred to a future remedial action. These efforts contin-ued while the application process for designation as aNational Priority List or Superfund site moved forward.

Then in 2006, an unusual opportunity came along to

move the cleanup forward.. The Illinois Department ofTransportation was undertaking a massive reconstructionproject on the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago andneeded to dispose of more than a million cubic yards ofsoil. Under an intergovernmental agreement proposed bythe Illinois EPA’s Bureau of Land, IDOT agreed to pay

IEPA $19 a cubic yard to take at least 1 million cubicyards of the soil to the Lake Calumet Cluster Sites area,and will pay the costs of implementing the capping reme-dy. The soil contains “very tight clay that is suitable forwhat we want to do and it would have cost us at least $10million to buy it,” noted Eric Runkel, the Bureau of Landproject manager for the Lake Calumet Cluster Sites.

At the same time, the agreement also benefited IDOTand its project cost, since disposing of the soil otherwisecould have cost them up to $70 per ton, Runkel added.

“This is a mutually beneficial effort. IDOT has aconvenient place to put large quantities of soil and theIllinois EPA is able to reuse it in an environmentally con-structive way,” said then IDOT Secretary Tim Martin inan April 2006 statement.

To assure the quality of the soils used in the cap,IDOT sampled in 100-foot grids to assure soil being sentto the Cluster Sites meets IEPA’s TACO (TieredApproach to Corrective Action Objectives) for safe use inresidential areas, Runkel said.

Starting in the early spring of 2006, long convoys oftrucks from the Dan Ryan project began arriving at theLake Calumet Cluster Sites, initially stockpiling the soilon the adjacent old Paxton I Landfill site, while sitepreparation work began on other properties where unau-thorized disposal of industrial slag and other wasteoccurred. Removal of stands of phragmites, some shrubsand small trees was part of the site preparation for use ofthe “clean fill” soil from IDOT to re-contour the site.

In September 2006, U.S. EPA concurred with IllinoisEPA’s plan for addressing the soil contamination in the“Cluster Sites.” IEPA was also designated the leadagency, following a “Focused Feasibility Study” financedwith some of the payment from IDOT that proposedinnovative ways of using many of the materials already inthe area to reduce the cost of the cap. The plan, or“Record of Decision,” includes bio-solids provided fromthe nearby Metropolitan Water Recovery District facilityto be tilled into the topsoil cover and seeded with vegeta-tion; a geotextile layer; a drainage layer with non-reactivematerial, such as crushed concrete; a low-permeabilitymulti-layer clay cap using the Dan Ryan project soils toprevent further rainwater infiltration; and a gas manage-ment layer, using steel slag material in the area at noadditional cost. The estimated total cost of the remedy,including engineering and construction, was about $18.9million, or essentially identical to the payment beingmade by IDOT for the Dan Ryan project soil disposal.

By the spring of 2007, more than 800,000 cubicyards of the Dan Ryan soil had already been trucked intothe area and construction work was underway on the gasmanagement layer, including installation of 10 trenchesfor the piping system.

While progress continues on the soil remedy, moreintensive investigation continues on the groundwater con-tamination. Runkel noted that the groundwater is onlyabout 2 1/2 feet below the surface in the area and is inter-

Soil from the Dan Ryan Project is stockpiled at the Paxton Isite for use in the Cluster Sites capping remedy.

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connected with the marshes, with an estimated 1.8 mil-lion cubic yards of waste created leachate that is poten-tially being washed into marshes. He projects it will takeat least two more years to complete a feasibility study ona remedy for the groundwater contamination.

Meanwhile, a Lake Calumet Cluster Sites Workgroupcontinues to meet periodically, and provide input to theproject. It includes not only the government agencies,Illinois EPA, which is the designated lead agency, U.S.EPA Region 5, City of Chicago Department of theEnvironment, the Illinois Department of NaturalResources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, butalso long-term participation by the SoutheastEnvironmental Task Force, led for many years by MarianByrnes, an unstinting advocate for cleanup of the ClusterSites, the Calumet Ecological Park Association, theChicago Legal Clinic, and Northwestern University.

The group has been meeting for more than 10 yearsand currently is focused on suggesting future uses of thearea after the soil and groundwater remediation has beencompleted, said Mara McGinnis, the Illinois EPA Office

of Community Relations Coordinator for the LakeCalumet Cluster Sites.

“Some of the ideas under current discussion includeaccessibility to bird watchers and nature lovers, such as anature walking trail along the perimeter of the landfillthat would not damage the cover. We’re also trying tobalance the intent of making this an open space areawhile not attracting wildlife that would damage the cap(such as burrowing animals),” McGinnis said.

She noted that future use of the area also depends onresolution of potential liability issues and who ultimatelywill be responsible for maintenance of the cleanup reme-dies.

Right-to-Know Legislation Better Informs Illinois Citizens

The Illinois Pollution Control Board has given finalapproval to regulations proposed by Illinois EPA toimplement the landmark “Right to Know” legislationsigned into law in July 2005. IEPA worked with citizengroups, environmental organizations and business andindustry groups to fashion specific regulations to imple-ment the law so it would meet the goal of providingincreased information to citizens potentially impacted byoff-site land and groundwater contamination and encour-age more rapid cleanup responses, while not imposing animpossible burden on either IEPA or responsible parties.

This act amends the Environmental Protection Actto mandate that the Illinois EPA give timely notificationto Illinois citizens about contamination in soil or ground-water that may threaten public health from permittedfacilities or other sites where Illinois EPA gains crediblescientific data on contamination that is measured or mod-eled to pose an off-site threat of exposure to the public.In certain circumstances, responsible parties or remedialapplicants may be allowed to issue the notice as part ofAgency-approved community relations activities. TheAct also requires mandatory notification for sites deemed

emergencies through certain Illinois EPA and U.S. EPAactions. Illinois EPA assisted in drafting the new lawwith chief sponsors State Sen. John Cullerton and StateRep. Thomas Holbrook.

In recent years, the Illinois Environmental ProtectionAgency (Illinois EPA) has become aware of contamina-tion in certain areas of the state that threatens the safetyof drinking water supplies that use groundwater sources.Experience from working on multiple sites where com-monly used commercial and industrial solvents migratedinto the groundwater from soil contamination highlightedthe need for early notification to private well owners inthe areas of contamination so that individuals can testtheir water and make important decisions that mayimpact their families’ health. An estimated 400,000 pri-vate wells exist in Illinois, many close to larger cities.

An investigation by IEPA, along with the IllinoisDepartment of Public Health and the DuPage CountyHealth Department, in 2002-2004, of contaminationlinked to a factory and an industrial park that impactedmore than a thousand private wells, particularly helpedspur passage of the new law.


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The new regulations adopted by the Pollution ControlBoard in the fall of 2006 include requirements for identify-ing drinking water wells in an area of concern and for per-forming community relations activities to notify and estab-lish communication with the public who may be affectedby contamination. Those rules went through two hearingswith the Board in the spring of 2006 and were given finalapproval in September after the Legislature’s JointCommittee on Administrative Rules had no objections.

Right-to-Know Notifications

Meanwhile, notifications to owners of properties thatmay be affected by contamination from a given site orfacility were required as of January 1, 2006, whenever theIllinois EPA determines that soil contamination beyond theboundary of the site where the release occurred poses athreat of exposure to the public above specified cleanupobjectives, or groundwater contamination poses a threat ofexposure to the public above the Class 1 groundwaterquality standards. Illinois EPA will offer the party per-forming the cleanup an opportunity to make the notifica-tion, when appropriate. The Illinois EPA will review andapprove the outreach plan and method of notification aswell as the notice itself. If the party declines to make thenotification, the Agency will do so.

Screening Process for Sites That May RequireNotification

In 2005, Illinois EPA established a ContaminantEvaluation Group (CEG) to systematically reviewsite/facility situations with actual or potential off-site con-tamination threats that are first identified at the Bureaulevel. The CEG is comprised of representatives from: theBureaus of Air, Land, and Water; Division of LegalCounsel; Office of Community Relations; and the Officeof Emergency Response. The CEG makes recommenda-tions regarding appropriate actions in response to a releaseof contaminants, which may include public notices, inves-tigations, administrative orders and enforcement referrals.

The CEG has been meeting monthly and reviewingsome referrals via e-mail communications. More than adozen sites have already been identified where notificationby the Agency or a responsible party was deemed neces-sary. At half of these, the party performing the responseaction has or will initiate the notification. Additionally,Illinois EPA set up a Right-to-Know web site -http://www.epa.state.il.us/community-relations/right-to-know/index.html, and we have recently begun posting avariety of notices that have gone out to citizens on severalsites. The “Notification Database” includes, for example, asmall-scale incident involving a leak from a pipeline termi-nal in Macon County, where six neighbors were directlycontacted, to the large-scale, highly publicized in the newsmedia, tritium contamination releases involving theBraidwood nuclear power station where extensive commu-

nity relations activities includes an entire dedicated website and thousands of nearby residents have been contacted.

Pilot Notification Project

During the summer of 2005, Illinois EPA worked withthe Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), CookCounty Department of Public Health and citizens (who aremembers of the Right-to-Know Committee) to develop apilot notification project in South Chicago Heights andSteger. Over 400 private wells are located in the area andare near many industrial sites. The purpose of the notifica-tion was to advise that contamination had been detected inthe groundwater in the past and to recommend that localwell owners have their wells tested for a family of chemi-cals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs).Approximately 2200 information packages were sent out,which included a cover letter, fact sheet, a list of laborato-ries, and sampling instructions (in English and in Spanish).Go to http://www.epa.state.il.us/community-relations/fact-sheets/south-chicago-wells/index.html to view the factsheet. Six weeks after the notification was sent, theAgency conducted a follow-up survey with approximately670 of the residents. Of the ninety-one who responded, 82percent found the materials in the original mailing “easy toread,” 76 percent found the materials “easy to understand,”68 percent found the materials “helpful,” and 61 percentindicated that the materials were “timely.”

Sixty-nine survey respondents noted whether thematerials received were adequate for their needs. Fifty (72percent) indicated that the materials received provided“just enough” information, while seventeen marked “toolittle” and two marked “too much.”

The responses reinforced the Right-to-KnowCommittee’s efforts at developing an outreach packagethat will be useful to the public. Copies of the materialsdeveloped for the pilot notification are now sent as anexample to parties performing response actions when theAgency offers to let them to do the notification to the public.

New Well Water Web Site and Outreach Effort

Illinois EPA has also developed a web site to educateprivate well uses about construction, maintenance, poten-tial contamination problems and testing of their privatewells - http://www.epa.state.il.us/well-water/index.html. The site contains links to many useful fact sheets and doc-uments to assist private well owners.

In the fall of 2005, Illinois EPA worked with countyhealth departments around the state to send out newsreleases announcing the web site and to recommend to pri-vate well owners that they test their water for potentialcontaminants, particularly bacteria, nitrate, volatile organic

compounds (VOCs) and pesticides. The campaign consist-

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ed of newspaper and radio advertisements, an educationalweb site, and printed brochures. IEPA and IDPH issued astatewide press release on Thursday, November 10, 2005,and invited 51 local health departments that had indicatedan interest to do a joint press release. Also, six accreditedlaboratories offered a discount on well water testing forthe month of November. Approximately 61 local healthdepartments and five private labs participated in the cam-paign.

Outreach with State and Local Health Departments

During May 2006, Illinois EPA staff started outreachto state (regional) and local health departments acrossnorthern Illinois by holding back-to-back training ses-sions in Yorkville (Kendall County) and Rockford(Winnebago County). The objective was to present infor-mation about the new legislation and rulemaking and toanswer questions about how implementation of theseinvolves a coordinated effort between IEPA and healthdepartments when notifying the public about contamina-tion issues. Both sessions were well attended, helping tocreate a sense of cooperation among the agencies inworking to find ways to best inform citizens regardingthe potential for contamination and recommendationsabout private well testing.

Prior to the new law, the Agency attempted to keepcitizens advised about known contamination from certaintypes of sites where community relations activities were

required or needed based on citizen concerns orinterest. Many clean up sites did not fall into thesecategories, and the responsible party or remedialapplicant performed community relations work ontheir own initiative, if at all.

The new Right-to-Know notification processnow being integrated into all IEPA operations willinclude more types of sites and will notify nearbyresidents in a timely manner about threats fromsoil or groundwater contamination. The goal is forcitizens to be in a position to make informed deci-sions to avoid or minimize exposure to contamina-tion from environmental sources.

New Internet Geographic InformationSystem (GIS) tools, combined with an Agency

evaluation process for screening threats tooff-site properties, are now in place to helpidentify sites where notification is needed.

The Office of Community Relations hasalso developed a Right-to-Know GeneralFact Sheet – “Right-to-Know LegislationBetter Informs Illinois Citizens..” Viewthe fact sheet at:http://www.epa.state.il.us/community-rela-tions/right-to-know/fact-sheet.html

Another key part of the new law gaveIEPA—-for the first time in its 36-year

history—-an authority that environmental agencies inmany other states already had, to issue “administrativeorders” compelling responsible parties to clean up or con-tain hazardous contaminants released into the environ-ment. Previously, the Agency had to ask the IllinoisAttorney General to seek a court order in such cases orrefer the matter to the U.S. EPA.

The Agency must still investigate a contaminated siteand identify the responsible parties and provide thealleged polluters with an opportunity to reach an agree-ment to address the contamination and also includes aright to appeal to the Illinois Pollution Control Boardbased on scientific and legal evidence.

Ann Muniz (center) of Downers Grove was honored with the Governor’s PeopleAre Today’s Heroes (PATH) Award for her outstanding work to increase aware-ness of threats to groundwater supplies. Mrs. Muniz was a community advocatein responding to widespread contamination of private wells in parts of DuPageCounty and assisted Illinois EPA in implementing the Right to Know Law thatrequires increased notification and community outreach when companies causeoff-site contamination impacting private wells and other environmental hazards.She was joined by her husband Ed and daughters Alicia and Emily (left) inaccepting the award from IEPA Director Doug Scott (right).

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Provides First Significant Fundingin Agency’s History to AddressOpen Dumps

The Illinois EPA Bureau of Landbegan implementing the Governor’sIRID (Illinois Removes Illegal Dumps)Initiative in September 2006 and by theend of the year contractors hired andsupervised by IEPA had cleaned up near-ly 40 long-festering open dumping areasin nearly a dozen counties around thestate. Locations have ranged from the tipof Southern Illinois near Cave-in-Rockto rural central and eastern Illinois andurban locations in the Chicago metroarea, with the material removed rangingfrom old appliances and construction anddemolition debris to derelict carsremoved by a winch from a steep hill-side. The program and its initial $3million appropriation is the first signifi-cant resource provided the Agency in its

more than 36-year history to addressopen dumps where the responsible par-ties can not be located to remove thedebris or there is an imminent health andsafety threat.

The first cleanup was held inCentreville in St. Clair County and aneighboring resident to the longtimeopen dumping area was so pleased bythe IRID removal that she told a localnewspaper that she was “overcome withjoy.”

In the first three months of the pro-gram, more than 9,000 tons of solidwaste was taken to regulated landfills,100 tons of material was salvaged orrecycled and 50 tons of tires were col-

lected for recycling or fuel use.Open dumps can cause disease, fire, accident and sanitation hazards

to people and wildlife, as well as being unsightly ongoing magnets to flydumpers.

IEPA Bureau of Land staffers are also working to pair IRID withother Agency cleanup programs, whenever practical. For example, at along-abandoned salvage yard in Granite City, IRID will help removeremaining surface waste materials, including such items as boats andappliances, after the Used Tire Unit removed more than 8,000 tires fromthe site a few years earlier. In addition, an IEPA brownfields grant willthen be used to assess subsurface contamination.

“This has been an exciting initiative for both the Agency and theunfortunate neighbors of these illegal dumps and I am grateful toGovernor Blagojevich and the Illinois General Assembly for providingadditional funding and authority to Illinois EPA to clean up these mess-es,” said Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott.

IRID program staff has worked with the Agency’s regional fieldoffices around the state and local officials to identify priority opendumping sites. In addition, several open dumping locations on IllinoisDepartment of Natural Resources sites, in the Jim Edgar Panther CreekState Recreational Area and Buffalo Rock State Park have also been tar-geted so far.

At one of the IDNR locations, near the I and M Canal, across fromLaSalle, the cleanup is somewhat unique because the contractor smashedpieces of concrete dumped there into smaller pieces and removed rebarso it qualifies as “clean construction and demolition debris” and can thenbe “recycled in place” by being covered up with soil and planted withvegetation. Besides cutting costs, this approach had an additional envi-ronmental benefit by functioning like rip rap to reduce soil erosion alonga waterside slope.

As well as cleaning up the sites, the IRID program also incorporatesan element of prevention and education about illegal open dumping.“No Dumping” signs are placed at every IRID cleanup and, when feasi-ble, cables and barricades are also used to impend future dumping at thesites that have been addressed. Agency staff will also do periodic inspec-tions of cleaned up sites in the future to ensure that open dumping hasnot resumed.

The program uses part of existing landfill fee revenues received bythe state to cover the costs of hiring additional IEPA inspectors and tocontract for the cleanups.

IRID Cleanups Kick Off Under IRID – Illinois Removes Illegal Dumps

Example of illegally-dumped materialscleaned up by IRID.

Posting a “dumping prohibited” sign as part of an IRID cleanup onIllinois Department of Natural Resources land near Ottawa were (left toright) Jay Endress, assistant to State Sen. Gary Dahl, IEPA DirectorDoug Scott, IDNR Deputy Director Leslie Sgro, and State Rep. FrankMautino, D-Spring Valley.

Governor’s Environmental CorpsIllinois EPA Governor’s Environmental Corps program gives students a glimpse of working in environmental fields

Nearly 600 interns since 1991

Thirty-four students from 21 dif-ferent college campuses participatedin the summer 2006 Governor’sEnvironmental Corps (GEC) programthat since 1991 has given students aunique professional experience byworking with IEPA staff mentors.

The GEC program, which hasbeen funded from the start throughdonations from Illinois companiesthat “sponsor” the students, now has572 alumni, many of whom havegone on to careers in the environ-mental field, in both the private andgovernmental sectors.

The majority of selected studentswere paired with staff mentors inSpringfield, where the Illinois EPA’sheadquarters, organics laboratory andcentral regional office are located.However, some students were placedin regional offices in Des Plaines,Rockford, Peoria, Champaign,Collinsville and Marion.

Depending on assignment, thework experiences range from testingsamples at an Agency lab, to assist-ing field inspectors in gathering sam-ples or visiting facilities, to helpingAgency lawyers draft proposed regu-lations, to helping set up waste tirecollections.

This past summer, for example,GEC intern John DeRosa Jr. workedon alternate fuels and the CleanSchool Bus program with mentorDarwin Burkhart in the Bureau ofAir. Intern Martha Leverenz workedwith mentor John Kim in theDivision of Legal Council on regula-tions to reduce mercury emissionsfrom power plants and intern JacquinMilhouse worked with mentor ElmoDowd in the Associate Director’sOffice in working with communitieson brownfields and the Governor’sRiver Edge Initiative targeting con-taminated riverfront sites.

Meanwhile, GEC intern TerriWalczak assisted her mentor, DeirdreMcQuillen (Associate Director’sOffice) with Green Pays on GreenDays, the nationally recognized citi-zen action air pollution awarenessprogram in the Chicago area.

The GEC interns particularlyappreciated the practical nature ofthe summer work experience. “Therewas a hands on type of work experi-ence in the field nearly every day—-whether we were out in the streamscollecting samples or going out witha mentor to obtain emission data andobserve the area around a meat pack-ing plant, each situation was a learnby doing type of event,” commentedintern Laura Honigman.

“Whether you graduate with adegree in engineering, business, biol-ogy, education, communications,marketing or environmental studies:the IEPA has a place for you.Environmental protection is a broad-er career path than many perceive itto be—-I enjoyed working side-by-side with students or professionals ofvarying backgrounds,” added internAbby Hahne.

The internship experience for thepast several years has begun with atwo-day “team-building” retreat atAllerton Park and Retreat Centernear Monticello, including the oppor-tunity to climb and jump off tallpoles. The internship experience alsoincludes field trips and inSpringfield, this past summer, workdays to clean up debris and erosionprevent projects for a pond atWashington Park and at LincolnMemorial Garden on LakeSpringfield.

The summer’s major two-dayfield trip in 2006 turned out to be anunexpected adventure for the interns.They were scheduled to visit several

facilities in the Metro East area andarrived the morning after one of thebiggest storms in history had hit thearea, with millions of residents andbusinesses without power. They alsoended up hunkering down in theirbus when a second storm hit.

However, the host facilities,including a wastewater treatmentplant, an industrial disposal facility, alandfill and an industrial plant werestill able to provide tours for the stu-dents.

This past summer, several of theinterns also participated in a litterpickup in the streets around theSpringfield headquarters and alsobuilt a special “recycled racecar”from aluminum cans, plastic contain-ers and other recyclable objects, thatbecame the IEPA’s award-winningentry in the Illinois State Fair Paradein August.

The internship ended, as it hassince the program began, with a galalunch and “graduation” program atthe Executive (Governor’s) Mansionin Springfield, with parents andfriends invited. One of the highlightsof the luncheons for several years hasbeen the premiere showing of avideo/DVD of the summer’s experi-ences that the students can take withthem.

Applications for the 2007Governor’s Environmental Corpswere accepted through March 30,with an estimated 30 slots projectedfor internships running from June 4through August 3. This year’s internswill receive a salary of $1400 permonth. Students enrolled in any col-lege or university, who will havecompleted at least their sophomoreyear prior to start of the program,were eligible to apply.

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GEC interns for 2006 were (name, hometown, college):

—- Matthew Anderson, Mt. Prospect, Illinois Wesleyan University—- Lisa Buettner, Petersburg, University of Illinois at Springfield—- Amber Bukowski, Donovan, Eureka College—- Matthew Chan, Hong Kong (China), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—- Molly Corrigan, Springfield, Southern Illinois University School of Law—- John DeRosa Jr., Riverton, Illinois College—- Eric Finley, Athens, Grand View College (Des Moines, Iowa) —- Abby Hahne, Sheffield, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—- Elizabeth Halel, Belleville, Loyola University (New Orleans, La.) —- Jennifer Hill, Western Springs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—- Laura Honigman, Rochester, Illinois State University—- Samantha Hufnagel, Henry, University of Illinois College of Law—- Kang Hui-Clotfelter, Beijing (China), University of Illinois at Springfield—- Jacqueline Jackson, Lansing, Governors State University—- Kyle Johnson, Petersburg, University of Illinois at Springfield—- Kyle Kearns, Cary, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale—- Lindsay Kelderhouse, Island Lake, Central College—- Martha Leverenz, St.Louis, Missouri, Dominican University—- Joshua Lochhead, Chester, Eastern Illinois University—- James McManus, Jacksonville, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville—- Jacquin Milhouse, Chicago, Davidson College—- James Miralgio, Franklin Park, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—- Daniel Mosher, Pleasant Plains, Northwestern University—- Kiel Peregrin, Springfield, University of Illinois at Springfield—- Jennifer Prigge, Rochester, Cornell University—- James Rice, Jacksonville, Illinois State University—- William Rinehart, Springfield, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—- Jeron Schultz, Springfield, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville—- Rupak Thapaliya, Katmandu (Nepal), Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville—- Daniel Urban, Elk Grove Village, Purdue University—- Terri Walczak, North Riverside, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—- Ying Wang, Nanyang (China), University of Illinois at Springfield—- Kimberly Whitlock, Naperville, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—- Tara Wood, Peoria, University of Arkansas

The 2006 Governor’s Environmental Corps participants posed atAllerton House near Monticello during their orientation andtraining session last summer. Thirty-four students from 18 differ-ent colleges and universities completed the program in 2006, inwhich they worked for IEPA staff mentors.

Governor’s Environmental Corps interns helped outwith erosion control efforts at Springfield’sWashington Park during a “work day” last summer.

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Illinois EPA Pollution Prevention Intern ProgramHelps Illinois Companies and the Environment

Since 1989, nearly 300 Illinois upper-level collegeand graduate students have spent their summers workingwith hundreds of Illinois companies on practical pollu-tion-prevention, waste reduction, and energy saving solu-tions.

With initial training and overall coordination byIEPA, the Pollution Prevention (P2) interns have workeddirectly for Illinois companies of all sizes and somemunicipalities to help them save money while benefitingthe environment at the same time. The companies pay thesalaries of the interns, which will range from $2,100 to$2,700 per month for the three-month internships thissummer, depending on level of schooling and relocationexpenses. Companies participating have ranged fromhuge multi-national firms, such as Peoria-headquarteredCaterpillar that has used P2 interns at several of itsIllinois plants, to family-owned companies with less than100 employees. Through 2006, 282 interns have beenplaced with 208 companies or facilities, with at least 15additional interns expected to be placed this summer.Information and pre-screening interviews were conductedby IEPA staff at seven campuses in February (SouthernIllinois University at Edwardsville and Carbondale,University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Chicago,Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois Institue ofTechnology in Chicago and Northern Illinois Universityin DeKalb.

The students must have at least completed their jun-ior year and be taking classes in an engineering disci-pline, chemistry, or environmental management. The firstweek of the summer is spent on an intensive training ses-sion in P2 techniques in Springfield and the interns thenwork fulltime at their host facility on assigned projects.

Richard Reese of the Office of Pollution Preventionin Springfield has coordinated the program for severalyears and is assisted by Brian Rodely, a P2 staffer basedat the Marion regional office.

IEPA began surveying companies in 2001 on theirimplementation of recommendations from the P2 internsand their cost savings. During the 2001-2004 period, thecompanies reported a total of $1.3 million saved in oper-ating and disposal costs, $420,000 in energy costs, 19million pounds of solid, special and hazardous wastediverted from landfills and more than 41 million gallonsof wastewater that is now recycled rather than discharged.

During 2005, the 20 interns’ projects made recom-mendations with the potential to save the participatingfacilities more than $3 million in operating and disposalcosts, reducing water consumption by 16.8 million gal-

lons at a savings of $38,000, and reducing energy costsby more than $680,000.

Examples of the diversity of the types of projects insummer 2005 include:Intern Dwarakewswar Penobulu of Bradley Universityevaluated the use of a biogas as a substitute for naturalgas in a new anaerobic digester at the wastewater treat-ment plant of Aventine Renewable Energy in Pekin, amajor ethanol producer. He showed how methane biogas,a byproduct of the digester could be used as a fuelreplacement to cut natural gas costs by more than$900,000 a year. He also proposed a biogas handling sys-tem to handle the increased load that could also be usedas a backup in the event one of the digesters is down formaintenance. In addition, Penobulu used an ultrasonicdetector to identify leaks in the plant’s compressed airsystems, which could be repaired and save more than$22,000 a year in energy costs.

Intern Nanda Kishore Boddeda of Northern IllinoisUniversity made several recommendations to Nalco Co.,a leading provider of water treatment services and chemi-cals for its Bedford Park plant that produces silica prod-ucts. Recommendations for a recovery heat exchanger,excess air controller, upgraded boiler burners and acogeneration system to produce electricity and steamcould potentially yield more than $250,000 a year in sav-ings.

Intern Marci Burt of Southern IllinoisUniversity/Carbondale proposed a leak detection andrepair plan for Oil Dri, a clay manufacturing facility inMounds, that is estimated to save more than $200,000 ayear from reducing product loss. She also proposed recy-cling the clay cooler that exhausts through a bag houseinto the kiln, reducing energy consumption by 15 percentat an annual savings of $114,000. Another of her ideas,upgrading the conveyer belt heaters to radian systems,will reduce natural gas usage and save $90,000 a year.

Intern Syed Jaffrey of Southern IllinoisUniversity/Edwrdsville analyzed processes at the PrairieFarms facility in Carbondale that makes cottage cheeseand sour cream. He proposed a three-stage reverse osmo-sis/non filtration membrane system that would generate38,000 gallons per day of clean water for reuse and gen-erating acid whey for use at hog farms for feed, savingsan estimated $318,000 annually at this one and threeother Prairie Farms plants. He also identified severalother energy-saving solutions.

Intern Christian Lange of Southern IllinoisUniversity/Carbondale worked with the City of DuQuoin,


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rather than a company, identifying several energy and fuelsaving options that also benefit the environment, includingpurchase of a hybrid electric vehicle, LED units for trafficsignals and street lighting and lighting upgrades at theDuQuoin State Fairgrounds owned by the state that couldreduce electricity use by more than 223,000 kilowatt-hoursand cut carbon emissions by 183 tons. Lange also advisedseveral local businesses on reducing electricity use and sav-ing on power bills.

More recently, summer 2006 intern Eric White ofSouthern Illinois University/Carbondale was assigned toBig M Manufacturing in Taylorville, a family-owned busi-

ness that has been producing corn-burning boilers and fur-naces for residential and commercial heating use since1992, currently supplying products to more than 80 distrib-

utors nationally. The company purchased an ammoniawater absorption chiller to help the intern investigate differ-ent approaches for combining heat-driven cooling technolo-gies with a corn-burning system. The chiller has the abilityto produce space cooling from steam, hot water or fossilfuels. White identified four possible designs that wouldallow the chiller to be driven by a corn boiler that wouldmake the company’s products useful in the summer months.It is currently doing additional testing of components of thesystem.

Nineteen IEPA Pollution Prevention (P2) interns in thesummer of 2006 pose with staff coordinators Rick Reese(left, back row) and Brian Rodely (right, back row).

P2 intern Eric White (left) discusses his project to incor-porate an air-conditioning cycle with the corn burningboiler units made by Big M Manufacturing inTaylorville, with owner Melvin Repscher (center) andBrian Rodely of the IEPA Marion Regional Office

For more than eleven years, theIllinois EPA’s Lake EducationAssistance Program (LEAP) has pro-vided teachers and not for profitorganizations an opportunity to teachwater education. They are enabled todo so through small $500 grantswhich allow the purchase of lake mon-itoring equipment, lake related educa-tional materials as well as pay trans-portation costs to and from the lake

being studied. While over 1,000groups have experienced the programand many have heard and read of thesuccesses, most though may not reallyknow how it all began.

Initially, IEPA staff would regu-larly pack-up water monitoring equip-ment and meet teachers and theirclasses at a lake to discuss watersheds,water quality and how to use monitor-ing equipment that helps determine

the “health” of their lake. During oneof these meetings, a teacher remarkedhow “she had paid for all of her equip-ment out of her own pocket… andwondered what kind of good couldcome from an occasional extra $200in their budget.”

Not long afterwards, as a result ofthis teacher’s statement, the IEPA’sLakes Unit in the Bureau of Watercreated LEAP. Since that fall of 1995,

LLEAP Program Expands Water Education Across Illinois: Small Grants to Teachers Aid in Lake Field Trip Costs

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the Illinois EnvironmentalProtection Agency has made it pos-sible for teachers across the state tohave the equipment necessary fortheir students to receive a realhands-on education. Besides watermonitoring equipment and trans-portation, teachers have used thegrant to attend water related confer-

ences, purchase water related soft-ware for their classroom computers,acquire and create educational watermaterials and even build smallponds on the school grounds.Teachers have also reported thatafter receiving the LEAP grant andtaking their class to the lake, manystudents decided they would like a

career dealing withthe environment.Each year oneclass who receiveda grant is asked toattend the IllinoisLake ManagementAssociation’s con-ference as presen-ters.

Teacher Donna

Zvonar’s 5th gradeclass from St.Mary’s School inBloomington col-lected water sam-ples for chemicalanalysis andbioassessment.They also went out

in boats with GPSunits and depth find-ers to create a 3-Dclassroom map of thebottom of Miller ParkLake.

Claraine Dobos and her highschool classes from Bunker Hillhave had the unique opportunity todo a comparison study on a newlydug lake with bare shores to amature lake where plants were wellestablished. Sampling included tur-bidity, pH, dissolved oxygen,nitrates and iron. Their findingswere reported to the Bunker HillPark Committee.

Susan Miller from theWilliamson County Agriculture inthe Classroom program used theLEAP grant to help purchase anEnviroscape which will allow teach-ers and students to understand firsthand the importance of watersheds,best management practices and non-point source pollution in our watersupply. To date, over $500,000 ingrants has been made available.

With the school year beginningand another year of LEAP grantsavailable, it’s interesting how oneteacher’s comment sparked an ideathat has grown into what is now theLake Education Assistance Program.

If you know of anyone interest-ed in applying for a LEAP grant orhave more questions about the pro-gram contact Steve Kolsto217/782-3362 [email protected].

Roxana High School science teacher Pam Abbott (left)with students Sarah Huebner, Ashley Mouldon and KatieLaMarsh, learn to take the flow rate of Indian Creek asthey work on a “Total Water Quality Index” using aVernier Flow Rate Meter, one of the school projects around the state assisted with an IEPA LEAP grant.

“Littlest Lobbyist” is Also Hero To His Neighbors ForHelping Get Better Water

The water from the shallow private well serving his home in thesubdivision of Meadow Lawn in Pekin “tasted and smelled bad”, asdid that of his neighbors, so Robbie Lawerence decided to make itthe subject for a story called “Ugly Water” for Mrs. Marj Oesch’ssecond-grade

class at Starke Elementary School.The story concluded: “It looks bad. It

smells like rotten eggs. You don’t want todrink it, folks.”

It so impressed the class that it became thebasis for another project in which the studentscreated “Valentine’s Day cards” for GovernorRod Blagojevich, asking for his help in getting better water for Robbie and his neighbors inMeadow Lawn.


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in honor of his efforts to obtain clean water for his subdivision.“The appeal that he made was a very honest and straightforward

one. Robbie did more than most adults do—-he went to Springfieldand actually made something happen,” noted Director Scott.

Noting that Robbie was the youngest PATH Award winner,Director Scott added that: “I know all of the neighbors of Robbieand his mom, Lisa who live along Allentown Road think of Robbieand his classmates as real heroes every time they turn on the tapand get safe public water and no longer have to worry about gettingdirty, smelly water or no water.”

“I commend Robbie for bringing this to my attention. Robbie isa remarkable example of how much people, no matter what age, canaccomplish when they put their minds to it,” said Gov. Blagojevichin a statement.

With wisdom beyond his years, Robbie modestly accepted hisaward, giving credit to “my team—-everyone in this room was partof a team.”

Deftly handling TV interviews, the nine-year-old remindedreporters that “people can represent each other and help each other”and smiling, described the water at home now as “the best I evertasted.”

“It’s been fun and my mom can now take long showers and it’sjust overwhelming for me to get the award,” Robbie said in anotherinterview.

Later in the day, Robbie and his family were honored again at adinner put on by their neighbors and other friends.

In January, Robbie and the other Governor’s PATH Award win-ners were invited to be special guests for the Inaugural Ceremonyand Ball, joined by his mother and grandmother. In an interviewwith a reporter for a local newspaper, Robbie noted that all of thestate officials being sworn in mentioned the word “service.”

Later that evening at the Inaugural Ball, Robbie traded his CubScout uniform for a full tuxedo and boutonniere.

Robbie and his grandmother, Sandra Jones,went to Springfield on Feb. 15, 2006, and pre-sented the cards personally to GovernorBlagojevich in his Statehouse office. Robbie,then age 8, and dressed in his Cub Scout uni-form because he thought it would “look pro-fessional,” gave a presentation to the Governorand showed him a jar of the murky water.After the meeting, the Governor asked IllinoisEPA director Doug Scott to find a solution tothe community’s water problem. Although thecommunity did not fit into traditional loan orgrant programs, a $120,000 grant was madeavailable to Elm Grove Township through theEnvironmental Protection Trust Fund, whichprimarily comes from fines and penalties thatcome in during the year. The grant allowed thetownship to run water mains to the homes inMeadow Lawn and connect them to a Pekinmunicipal water supply line that was 1,200feet from the subdivision. Illinois AmericanWater Company, which supplies Pekin, alsopicked up some of the cost to assist the area.

The families in the subdivision, whichinclude homeowners on Social Security orother limited incomes that would otherwisehave had a hard time paying for the municipalwater connections, now enjoy clear water,without the high iron and manganese contentfrom the private wells that caused the water tooften discolor to a dark brown. One of the firstthings that many of the residents did was goout and buy washers and dryers, which theycouldn’t use before because the well waterwould discolor their clothes.

Robbie’s grandmother, Sandra Jones, whohas previously embarked on a letter-writingand petition campaign to help the subdivision,said she couldn’t have been prouder of hergrandson. “It’s been a great lesson for youngpeople to be unselfish and do good for oth-ers—-and we learned about conservation, gov-ernment and the environment.”

Added Robbie’s teacher, Mrs. Oesch:“Robbie is a very thoughtful student who isreally interested in science and the social sci-ences and as a result of his crusade for hisneighborhood, the entire class learned aboutgovernment, the environment, persuasive writ-ing and most importantly how to affect theircommunity.”

“From clean water to life lessons we’vegained so much from the project in general,”added Robbie’s mother, Lisa Lawrence.

While Robbie became something of a localmedia celebrity, and was dubbed “The LittlestLobbyist,” he was in the spotlight even more last November 1, when Director Scott came toStarke School to present the Governor’s PATH(People are Today’s Heroes) Award to Robbie

Nine-year-old Robbie Lawrence of Pekin was recognized lastNovember 1 as the youngest winner of the Governor’s PATH Awardfor his key role in obtaining a clean water supply for his subdivision.

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Governor Rod R. Blagojevich selected the Mid-ValleyNeighborhood Improvement Association (MVNIA), Inc., ofKane County as a recipient of the Peoples Are Today’sHeroes (PATH) Award for the organization’s committed andenvironmentally-conscious work that has helped its commu-nity save significant amounts of money, primarily throughits ReUseIt Center.

“MVNIA is a clear example that organizations are alsopart of today’s heroes. This group has been a great neighborto the residents of Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles for manyyears,” said Gov. Blagojevich. “MVNIA found a way to beenvironmental stewards for the hard-working people of theircommunity. They saw a need to recycle and found a way tokeep the money in the community. I applaud them for theirinnovative work.”

The Governor’s PATH Award recognizes groups or indi-viduals who, through their hard work and commitment,improve the lives of those in their community and helpIllinois move forward in the areas of health care, publicsafety and education.

Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott presented the awardon behalf of the Governor. “The Mid-Valley NeighborhoodImprovement Association is not just helping the communityby providing inexpensive building materials. They are help-ing the environment by keeping several tons of what wouldhave otherwise been waste out of Illinois landfills,” DirectorScott said, in making the presentation in Batavia.

“This is exactly the kind of sustainable use approachthat we all like to talk about but don’t always put into prac-tice. The ReUseIt Center truly does walk the walk and notjust talk the talk—-more than 72 tons of quality materialshave been diverted from local landfills due to its efforts,”Director Scott added.

For more than 14 years, MVNIA has assisted low andmoderate-income households in the Tri-City area with homerepairs and improvements to ensure the continued economicvitality of the whole community. In addition to special, low-rate home improvement loans, MVNIA provides EmergencyHome Repair and Resource Assistance to local homeownersto further enhance the area, economically, aesthetically, andsocially.

As a demonstration of their continued dedication tobeing environmentally friendly while helping the communi-ty, MVNIA opened the ReUseIt Center, an environmentallyfriendly, budget-conscious, community-focused retail opera-tion, and the first of its kind in Kane County. The 8,000 square foot ReUseIt Center is operated by volun-teers and two full-time staffers. It provides incredibly low-priced windows, doors, lighting, cabinets, tiles, vanities,sinks, and much more, in an effort to help residents stretchtheir home improvement dollars. And a portion of the fundsgenerated by product sales is funneled directly back into thecommunity through MVNIA’s Emergency Home RepairFund.

However, because the new and gently used buildingmaterials are donated by local businesses and residents, theimpact of MVNIA’s vision goes well beyond home improve-ment. The ReUseIt Center has been instrumental in recy-cling close to 100 tons of quality housing materials andproducts that would ultimately end up in landfills throughoutthe state.

“Facilities like the ReUseIt Center help Illinois continueits leadership role in reducing waste and limiting our nega-tive impact on the environment,” State Representative LindaChapa LaVia (D-Aurora) said. “With the rising cost of ener-gy, the need for conservation has never been more apparent,and I am proud to be here today to celebrate this milestonewith an important, forward-thinking organization.”

Continuing their commitment to the environment, theCenter also offers a variety of environmentally friendlyclasses throughout the year. Some topics covered involvesolar energy, environmental issues, green living, prairie gar-dening, home repair projects and safety. The classes areoffered free of charge or for a nominal fee.

“Our organization is truly grateful to Governor RodBlagojevich and the Illinois EPA for giving us the ultimaterecognition on the vital work we do to preserve our environ-ment, while ensuring the economic, social, and aestheticquality of life in the Tri-Cities,” said MVNIA DevelopmentDirector Barbara Zaha.

“When considering how our organization can furtherenhance the aesthetics of our community and the overallquality of life in the Tri-Cities, it’s only logical to place anemphasis on preserving the natural environment that sustainsall of us and everything we do,” said ReUseIt Store ManagerBill Coleman.

After announcing the Mid-Valley NeighborhoodImprovement Assoc. in Kane County had been honoredwith a Governor’s PATH Award for their ReUseIt Centerand other projects benefiting the environment and commu-nity, IEPA Director Doug Scott (center) congratulated (leftto right), Batavia Mayor Jeffrey Schielke; MVNIAExecutive Director Monia Jenkins: MVNIA BoardPresident Cathy Barnard; and State Rep. Linda Chapa La Via.

Gov. Blagojevich honors Kane County Not-for-Profit with PATH Award

Award cites organization’s environmentally-conscious resale center


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New laws to address environ-mental hazards that were passed bythe Illinois General Assembly andsigned by Governor RodBlagojevich as a result of the 2006General Assembly session includedmeasures to further reduce haz-ardous mercury sources, to provideadditional tools for cleaning up con-taminated “brownfields” sites, andrestricting “idling” responsible forpollution by large diesel vehicles.

House Bill 5578 (Public Act94-732) that became effective April24, 2006, creates the MercurySwitch Removal Act requiringautomakers to establish a programto remove and collect mercuryswitches from discarded vehiclesbefore they are processed as scrapmetal. The law establishes a seriesof phased-in targets for the switchremoval and collection, startingwith 35 percent by July 2007, 50percent by July 2008, and 75 per-cent by July 2009. It also providesfor vehicle recyclers and scrapmetal dealers to receive $2 for eachmercury light switch removed. Automakers are required to developtraining materials, provide collec-tion containers, arrange for safe dis-posal and conduct educational out-reach to implement the program.The chief sponsors were Rep. KarenMay, D-Highland Park and Sen.Terry Link, D-Lake Bluff.

It was among several initiativessupported by Governor Blagojevichtargeting mercury, which can causepermanent brain damage and otherdevelopmental and nervous systemhealth problems.

“I am pleased that Illinois is thefirst Midwestern state to addressthis environmental health hazard.Mercury causes brain damage,especially in children, and passingthis bill was a big success,” saidRep. May.

“It is imperative that we dis-pose of these mercury switches in a

safe and secure fashion,” said Sen.Link.

The use of auto scrap to makesteel is the second largest source ofmercury emissions in Illinois,exceeded only by power plants,

which Governor Blagojevich hasproposed be required to reduce mer-cury by at least 90 percent.Sponsors projected the mercuryswitch legislation will result in areduction of about 800 pounds ofmercury entering the environment inIllinois.

The Legislature also approvedGovernor Blagojevich’s River EdgeRedevelopment Zone Act (SenateBill 17 or Public Act 94-1021),which became effective July 12,2006.

The legislation provides addi-tional tools and resources to com-munities on rivers including poten-tial new grants of up to $2 million,subject to appropriation and a 25percent tax credit for unreimbursedcleanup costs in excess of $100,000

per site. It designated Aurora andEast St.Louis as the initial pilotcommunities eligible for River EdgeRedevelopment Zones. A trailer bill,Senate bill 1892 (Public Act 1022)added Rockford as a third pilot city.

On June 9, GovernorBlagojevich signed into law HouseBill 4782 (Public Act 94-845),effective July 1, 2006, that prohibitsdiesel vehicles of more than 8,000pounds from idling their engines formore than 10 minutes during any60-minute period, within the state’stwo largest metropolitan areas:Chicagoland area—Cook, DuPage,Lake, Kane, McHenry, Will coun-ties and Aux Sable and Good LakeTownships in Grundy County andOswego Township in KendallCounty, as well as Madison, St.Clair and Monroe counties in theSt.Louis-Metro East area. The newlaw provides for a petty offense forthe first violation, with a fine of$50, and $150 for a second or sub-sequent offense within any 12-month period. It provides exemp-tions when the outdoor air is below32 degrees or above 80 degrees.

“Clean air is essential to ourquality of life here,” said Gov.Blagojevich. “I would like to thankRep. Elaine Nekritz (D-DesPlaines)and Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston) for spearheading thisimportant effort to reduce unhealthydiesel exhaust that leads to poor airquality and contributes to asthmaand other respiratory ailments.”

The legislation was also strong-ly supported by several environmen-tal and public health groups. It com-plements the Governor’s CleanSchool Bus program administeredby IEPA, which has developed avideo, pamphlets and workshops toreduce pollutants from unnecessaryidling by diesel school busesthroughout the state.

Prompted by previously unre-ported releases of water contaminat-

The Illinois Statehouse in Springfield

NN ew Laws: Roundup of Recent State Environmental Legislation

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ed by radioactive tritium fromthree nuclear power plants,Governor Blagojevich also signed alaw on June 11, 2006, House Bill1620 or Public Act 94-849, thatrequires the owner or operator ofany nuclear power plant to reportany unpermitted release of anyradionuclide into the groundwater,surface water, or soil to the IEPAand the Illinois EmergencyManagement Agency within 24hours of the release. It also author-izes and requires the IEPA andIEMA to inspect each of the state’snuclear power plants no less thanquarterly each year. “This newreporting requirement will givepeople the information they

deserve to know about, whether thewater they use is safe,” saidGovernor Blagojevich.

Chief sponsors Rep. CareenGordon, (D-Coal City), and Sen.Gary Dahl, (R-Peru), said the newlaw will help address concerns oftheir constituents who lived nearthe nuclear power plants that hadthe tritium leaks or discharges.Although the levels of tritiumfound in the groundwater was rela-tively low and did not pose a healthrisk, the contamination was in vio-lation of Illinois’ groundwater pro-tection laws.

A portion of the VehicleEmissions Inspection law wasmodified by Senate Bill 2878

(Public Act 94-848) that wassigned and took effect on June 9,2006. It provides for the Secretaryof State to not renew the vehicleregistration, rather than the previ-ous provision for suspending driv-ing privileges, of any vehicleowner who fails to comply withemissions testing requirementsafter several notices. It would pre-clude a driver from being arrestedfor a suspended drivers’ license forfailure to comply with emissionstesting. It was sponsored by Rep.Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) andSen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago)who said the enforcement of emis-sions testing should be aimed at thevehicle rather than the driver.

Green Pays on Green Days

Record Participation in Fifth Summer of “GreenPays on Green Days” Program To Enlist Citizens inFight Against Air Pollution

More than 25,000 entries from Chicago metro area citizens pledging totake voluntary actions to help the clean the air were received during the fifthGreen Pays on Green Days program during summer 2006, a record numberand more than double the 11,000 entries received the previous year.

The national award-winning citizen awareness campaign was started byIEPA and Partners for Clean Air in 2002. The program encourages residentsof the metro area to take actions to reduce potential air pollution duringsummer months, such as taking public transit, carpooling, reducing use ofgas lawnmowers and charcoal-fired barbecues and fueling at night.

Promotional events include signups at minor league baseball games,festivals and fairs, and numerous personal appearances by environmental“superhero”—-Breathe Easy Man——a caped crusader for clean air, who isparticularly popular with the kids and stars in his own adventure coloringbook.

A contest open to residents in Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall,Lake, McHenry and Will Counties who pledge to do “at least one thing” forcleaner air included a drawing for a grand prize of a new Toyota Prius elec-tric/gas hybrid car donated by Toyota and Chicagoland Toyota Dealers. Theremainder of the 44 finalists, chosen at random on days when the area’s airquality was forecast to be good or “green”, won consolation prizes ofSchwinn bicycles.

Mary Bonnstetter from Chicago’sRogers Park neighborhood was selected asthe Grand Prize winner last September(2006), and said she was “just thrilled to bea part of the program.”

The closing event that featured thegrand prize drawing, also included Partnersfor Clean Air Excellence Awards to severalChicago area business for their efforts toreduce air pollution in the region.Recognized in 2006 were Lincoln ParkZoo, Swedish Covenant Hospital, theRegional Transportation Authority and theCity of Aurora.

Partners for Clean Air is a voluntarycoalition of more than 100 companies, localgovernments, and other organizations with-in the Chicago Metro Area that have com-mitted to reduce emissions that may con-tribute to air pollution, either ozone (smog)or particulates (soot) when weather condi-tions are also favorable to elevated pollu-tion levels.


21

For the first time in Illinois, Air Pollution Action Days were called out-side of the ozone season, May through September, with three actiondays being called in February due to elevated levels of fine particulatematter (PM2.5). Scientists determined that a combination of a stagnat-

ing regional air mass and combustion of winter fuels region wide wasthe main cause of this incident.

This unusual episode provided the Illinois EPA with the opportunityto thoroughly discuss fine particulate matter, which led to additionalpublic education about the causes and health concerns of this pollutant.

“While annual trends show the statewide levels of pollutants wellbelow the federal standards, there are still some areas in Illinois whereimprovement is needed,” said Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott. “TheIllinois EPA continues its commitment to improve air quality through-out the state and the region.”

The Annual Air Quality Report consists of data collected from a largenetwork of air monitoring equipment throughout the State of Illinois.The Illinois EPA operates and maintains more than 80 air monitoringsites featuring over 200 instruments, which monitor for numerous pol-lutants, including ozone, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogendioxide, carbon monoxide and lead.

The monitoring network is strategically designed to identify air pollu-tion trends. The data collected are then used to keep the publicinformed and to identify potential need for change in the Agency’sapproach to air pollution regulation.

In 2006, the state of Illinois established itself as anational leader in reducing harmful mercury, sulfur dioxideand nitrogen oxide emissions from power plants. Thesedeep reductions will help improve the air quality and pro-tect the health of the people of Illinois for generations tocome.

The 2005 Annual Air Quality Report is available on theIllinois EPA web site at www.epa.state.il.us. Printed copiescan be requested from the Illinois EPA’s Bureau of Air at217/782-9315.

Annual Air Quality Report: Trendsstill show Illinois’ air quality wellwithin established standards

Unusual weather early in 2005affects data for one pollutant

Air quality in Illinois was eithergood or moderate 90 percent of thetime throughout Illinois in 2005,

according to the 35th Annual AirQuality Report, released by theIllinois EPA in January.

While this is a decrease from theair quality numbers in 2004, it is con-sistent with the air quality trends thestate has experienced in the past. Airquality trends still show air pollutionlevels well below the federal air qual-ity standards on a statewide basis.

In 2005, Illinois as well as otherMidwestern and Northeastern statesexperienced one of the most unusualair quality episodes in recent history.

Annual Air Quality Report: Latest statewide data from IEPA air monitoring network

IEPA Bureau of Air staffer checks air monitoring equipmentin the Chicago metro area.

Mary Bonnstetter of Chicago was the winner of a newToyota Prius electric hybrid car last September at thefinale of the fifth summer for the Green Pays on GreenDays program.

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Landfill capacity in Illinoisremains high with 19 years ofdisposal space remaining

Illinois EPA Annual Reportshows expansions of someexisting landfills

Disposal capacity availablestatewide at landfills in Illinois issufficient for the next 19 years,according to recently released datafrom the Illinois EnvironmentalProtection Agency contained in theannual Nonhazardous Solid Wasteand Landfill Capacity Report. Thislevel is considered very good bynational standards.

The remaining landfill capaci-ty is calculated by dividing the vol-ume of wastes disposed during2005 (52.3 million gate cubicyards) by the capacity remainingon January 1, 2006 (980.4 milliongate cubic yards).

This information, along withdetailed statistics by region onlandscape waste compost facilities,waste transfer stations, waste gen-eration and recycling and solidwaste planning efforts are provided

in Illinois EPA’s 19th

annualreport, “Nonhazardous Solid WasteManagement and Landfill Capacityin Illinois,” for 2005.

“While there are fewer land-fills than there once was, modernsanitary landfills are constructedand operated to meet the stricteststandards in history,” said IllinoisEPA Director Doug Scott. “IllinoisEPA also features an efficient andeffective method of inspectingthese landfills through its regionaloffices and the delegated inspectionprogram.”

The report shows that theoverall number of active landfillswas 51. One new landfill opened

in Region 3: Indian Creek Landfill#2, in Hopedale. Kankakee RDF,Chebanse, closed in November2005, and expansions wereapproved at Lee County Landfill,Dixon, and at Roxana Landfill,Inc., Roxana.

While the number of activelandfills in Illinois accepting wasteremains good overall, regionalcapacity estimates vary significant-ly. Illinois EPA’s Region 2, theChicago Metropolitan region, hasabout 9 remaining years, with theuse of transfer stations allowingmuch of the solid waste in theChicago region to be sent to facili-ties outside the region. This con-trasts with Region 7, SouthernIllinois, which has a calculatedremaining capacity of 51 years.

With the Illinois EPA’s dele-gated inspection program, theAgency partners with local agen-cies allowing them to conductinspections of landfills and illegaldumping, on behalf of the Agency.

In addition, the report notesthat citizens throughout the statecontinue recycling efforts to stretchout disposal capacity. Local recy-cling coordinators in Illinois reportthat nearly 9.6 million tons ofmunicipal waste was recycled in2005. Total municipal waste gener-ation rate of 25.3 million tonsequates to nearly 38 percent recy-cling rate in the state, a slightimprovement from previous years.Although parts of Illinois are ruraland far from recycling markets,many local governments continuetheir recycling education efforts,and collect recycling data fromhaulers as a necessary public serv-ice.

Additionally, in 2005 therewere 102 active transfer stationsand 40 active compost facilities

that help manage the waste gener-ated in Illinois.

Only 13 percent of solidwastes deposited in landfills inIllinois in 2005 came from otherstates, with over 75 percent of thatamount generated in Missouri.Although Illinois haulers alsotransported solid wastes to otherstates, they are not required toreport this to the state of Illinois;therefore, the Illinois EPA cannotprovide the volume exported.

Illinois EPA’s seven regionaloffices, 18 delegated counties, theAmbraw Valley Solid WasteAgency and the City of Chicagohave been given the authority toinspect landfills, transfer stationsand compost sites in their jurisdic-tions, providing a needed service tothe citizens of Illinois.

Additionally, through theAgency’s new I-RID (IllinoisRemoves Illegal Dumps) program,the Regional offices have the addedmission of cleaning up illegaldump sites across the state. Thisprogram is also charged with shut-ting down these dumps, and crack-ing down on violators. In addition,the staff inspects clean constructionand demolition debris sites toensure compliance.

The new report is available forviewing or downloading on theIllinois EPA web site at:http://www.epa.state.il.us/land/landfillcapacity/2005/index.html.

You may also request a printedcopy by writing to the

Illinois EPA Waste Reductionand Compliance Section,

P. O. Box 19276,Springfield, IL 62794-9276,

or by calling 217-785-8604;or you can send an email request [email protected].

AAnnnnuuaall LLaannddffiillll CCaappaacciittyy RReeppoorrtt


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Daily cover operations at anIllinois landfill

In February, Illinois EPA Director Doug Scottannounced creation of the Bill Compton CorporateEnvironmental Stewardship Award to recognize out-standing contributions to the environment by an indi-vidual or company, with the award’s namesake, retir-ing Caterpillar Inc. environmental manager BillCompton, honored as the first recipient during a sur-prise announcement at a retirement reception forCompton in Springfield.

During his 32 years in Caterpillar’s EnvironmentalAffairs Office, Bill Compton has been a leader fromthe corporate sector, working with Illinois EPA andother stakeholders in developing groundwater protec-tion and air pollution control programs.

“Bill Compton’s career has epitomized responsiblecorporate environmental stewardship and we couldthink of no one more fitting to honor by establishingthis new award and naming it for him. We believe thatBill’s environmental stewardship is a model for theIllinois business and corporate community,” saidIllinois EPA Director Doug Scott in presenting theaward to Compton at a retirement reception Thursday,Feb. 15.

“Bill’s wealth of professional expertise in chem-istry, occupational health, environmental management,and water supplies, his leadership in industrial andprofessional organizations, and his excellent negotia-tion skills have made a direct impact on the overall

success of Illinois’ groundwater and air pollution con-trol programs,” Scott added.

“Bill has provided a valuable service as a liaisonbetween the IEPA and Caterpillar facilities, paving theway for positive relationships and win-win results forboth groups. His leadership has led to emissions reduc-tions and improvement in our environmental perform-ance and his work to promote environmental steward-ship at Caterpillar has been integral to our ongoinginclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.Environmental excellence and sustainable developmentare key to Caterpillar’s business success, and we lookforward to building on Bill’s legacy,” said DougOberhelman, Group President, Caterpillar Inc.

“At Caterpillar, our people are our greatest asset,and hiring and selecting employees of the highest cal-iber are critical to our company’s success. BillCompton has demonstrated Caterpillar’s values inaction: integrity, teamwork, excellence and commit-ment, throughout his career as an environmental manag-er. He has embraced, lived and shared the principles ofpreserving our natural resources with government, busi-ness and community alike. On behalf of Caterpillar, Ithank the State of Illinois for recognizing Bill’s contri-butions,” said Ali Bahaj, Corporate Auditing andCompliance Division Vice President, Caterpillar Inc.

At Caterpillar, headquartered in Peoria, is the largemanufacturer of construction and heavy equipment in

BBill CCompton Corporate Environmental Stewardship

Award Announced by Illinois EPALongtime Caterpillar Inc. environmental manager is first honoree

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Retiring Caterpillar Inc. environmental manager Bill Compton(right) was recognized in February by IEPA Director Doug Scott(left) with the establishment of a new award for corporate environ-mental stewardship in his honor.

the world. Compton was previously awarded anIllinois EPA Environmental Excellence Award forhis participation on the design team for the innova-tive Emissions Reduction Market System to reduceair pollutants that contribute to soot and smog. Healso has been a leader from the business sector ingroundwater protection efforts, and has served onthe Governor’s Groundwater Advisory Councilsince 1997, including as Chair, as well as chairingthe Water Quantity Planning Subcommittee and theRight-to-Know Notification MethodsSubcommittee.

He has also worked on the local and regionallevel to protect groundwater, including chairing thePekin wellhead protection ordinance team, chairingthe Central Illinois Groundwater Protection Planning Committee, and serving astrustee and chairman of the Groveland Townshippublic water supply and on the Tazewell CountyGroundwater Protection Committee.

His work has been honored with the National Groundwater Association’s Groundwater Hero Award, the Illinois Groundwater Association’s Groundwater ScienceAward, and an Illinois EPA Certificate of Commendation for leading the PekinWellhead Protection Team.

Compton has also served asChairman of the Executive Committee

and Environmental Affairs Committeeof the Illinois EnvironmentalRegulatory Group, an industry group representing many major Illinoiscompanies, that focuses on environ-mental issues.

In his work at Caterpillar, he hasaddressed environmental issues not justat the company’s many Illinois facili-ties, but has traveled the world consult-

ing on environmental stewardship tothe company’s international businessoperations.

Illinois EPA’s “Recyclable Racecar” float won the “Director’sAward for Best Non-Commercial Entry” in the Illinois State Fairopening parade last August. The “racecar” was constructed pri-marily by students in the 2006 Governor’s Environmental Corps,using aluminum cans, plastic containers and other recyclableitems. It also won the “Manager’s Award” at the DuQuoin StateFair parade later in the summer.

The Illinois EPA Pavilion in Conservation World at the2006 Illinois State Fair in Springfield continued theracecar theme with a miniature racecourse popularwith younger fairgoers.

State Fair: Recyclable Racecar wins awards and is a hit with �State Fairgoers


25

A delegation of South Korean Ministry of theEnvironment officials from the Han RiverBasin was hosted by Illinois EPA at theNational Great Rivers Museum in Alton.Director Doug Scott and Bureau of Waterstaff members provided an overview of Agencywater protection programs and the SouthKorean delegation shared strategies used intheir country. The Han River is the longestriver in South Korea so the international pro-fessional exchange event appropriately washeld on the banks of the longest river in theU.S.—- the Mississippi .

Nick Mahlandt (second from left), veteran Bureau ofWater staffer in the Collinsville regional office, talkedabout the features of the Mississippi River basin inIllinois with members of the South Korean Han RiverBasin delegation at the National Great RiversMuseum in Alton.

IEPA Director Doug Scott signs a ceremonialBig Check for a $70,600 brownfields grant to theCity of Galesburg for continued environmentalcleanup at the former Paintcraft Corp. site, as(center) Mayor Gary Smith looks on and CityDevelopment Director Roy Parkin holds the BigCheckbook.

Korean Visit:South Korean Ministry of theEnvironment officials exchangeviews with IEPA staff on waterprotection stratigies

Brownfields:Galesburg, Granite City, Broadview and Blue Island receiveIEPA grants to help clean up contaminated sites for redevelopment

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Interior of a building at the long-abandonedPaintcraft factory being addressed with the helpof the IEPA brownfields grant. The factory oper-ated from 1927 until 1990 and the City ofGalesburg is now cleaning up the site for poten-tial redevelopment.

Illinois EPA combined three of its programsto assist Granite City in cleaning up a for-mer salvage yard. A $42,505 MunicipalBrownfields Redevelopment Grant is beingused for subsurface contamination environ-mental investigation while an IRID cleanupremoved a wide variety of surface debrisand other abandoned items, including boats,on the site. The Agency’s Used Tire Unitpreviously removed more than 8,000 tiresleft on the site. In the photo, Granite CityMayor Ed Hagnauer (center) displayed aceremonial Big Check for the grant. He wasjoined by (left to right), State Rep. JayHoffman, D-Collinsville, State Rep. TomHolbrook, D-Belleville, State Sen. BillHaine, D-Alton, and State Rep. Dan Beiser,D-Alton.

IEPA Director Doug Scott (left) signs a cer-emonial Big Check for a $300,000Brownfields Stipulated Grant to the Villageof Broadview as Mayor Henry Vicenik andState Rep. Karen Yarbrough, D-Maywood,look on. The grant will finance completionof the environmental cleanup of the formerBroadview Quick Wash cleaners site. IEPApreviously provided $240,000 in MunicipalBrownfields Redevelopment Grants for thesite that is slated for redevelopment withcondominium residences and retail space.


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The Taylorville School District and its transportationcontractor, Beck Bus, is also one of the newer partic-ipants in the Governor’s Clean School Bus Program,using its grant to retrofit 30 buses with diesel oxida-tion catalysts. Taylorville students joined (back row,left to right) High School Principal ThomasCampbell; Mary Pat Tyson of U.S. EPA Region 5;Susan Tapp, district traffic manager for Beck Bus;State Rep. Gary Hannig, D-Litchfield; Bill Beck,owner of Beck Bus; State Sen. Deanna Demuzio. D-Carlinville; Taylorville Mayor Frank Mathon;Taylorville Schools Superintendent Dr. GreggFurstenau; and IEPA Director Doug Scott.

(Left to right) Blue Island Mayor DonaldPeloquin, IEPA Director Doug Scott, BlueIsland Economic Development CommissionChair Jack Heuser and David Chandler ofthe Center for Neighborhood Technologies,celebrated an IEPA brownfields grant of$119,977 for environmental investigation ata 90-acre former industrial and commercialsite.

The Effingham School District was recognized by IEPADirector Doug Scott (left) for its participation in theClean School Bus Program. The district used its grant toinstall particulate filters and use ultra low-sulfur dieselfuel to reduce emissions by 90 percent for 26 buses. Hewas joined by (left to right) Superintendent Dan Clasby,Director of Business and Administration Dean Keller, andHigh School Principal Mike McCollum. So far, 69 schooldistricts have participated in the program, with tailpipeemissions reduced from nearly 2,600 diesel school buses.That includes more than 660 retrofitted with diesel oxida-tion catalysts, 102 with particulate filters, 350 with idlingequipment, 256 with early phase-in of ultra low-sulfurdiesel fuel use and 1,854 using B20 biodiesel

Clean School Bus:Effingham and Taylorville join Clean Bus Program

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The City of Litchfield is using a$12.75 million low-interest loanfrom IEPA to construct its newdrinking water treatment plant,replacing an antiquated 1925 facili-ty. IEPA Director Doug Scott (right)joined (left to right) State Sen.Deanna Demuzio, D-Carlinville,State Rep. Gary Hannig, D-Litchfield, and Litchfield Mayor TomJones for a ceremonial check presen-tation.

A $6 million low-interest DrinkingWater Infrastructure loan from IEPAwill enable Geneva to expand it’streatment facilities and remove natu-rally-occuring radium that exceedsnew drinking water standards, as wellas other water quality improvements,part of a multi-year project in whichIEPA will provide $27.5 million intotal financing. Participating in a BigCheckbook presentation was (left toright) IEPA Director Doug Scott, StateSen. Chris Lauzen, R-Aurora, GenevaMayor Kevin Burns, and State Rep.Timothy Schmitz, R- Batavia.

IEPA is providing a $1.02 million low-interest Drinking Water InfrastractureRevolving Fund Loan to Sycamore tofinance radium treatment in theSycamore public water supply. (Left toright) State Rep. Robert Pritchard, R-Hinckley, IEPA Director Doug Scott,Sycamore Mayor Ken Mundy, andState Sen. J. Bradley Burzynski, R-Clare, celebrated financing for theproject that will bring Sycamore incompliance with the federal radiumstandard.

Drinking Water Infrastructure Loans:Litchfield, Geneva and Sycamore get IEPA low-interest loans to upgrade or expand drinking water treatment facilities.


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Wastewater Infrastructure Loans:Evanston and Rockford area get IEPA low-interest loans to upgrade sewers and wastewater treatment plants.

Evanston Mayor Lorraine Morton (right)and State Rep. Juilie Hamos, D-Evanston,hold the “Big Checkbook” for DirectorDoug Scott to recognize an IEPAWastewater Infrastructure Revolving Loanfor more than $1l.3 million to continueupgrades on the city’s combined sewers toreduce basement backups and street over-flows during heavy rains. IEPA has provid-ed more than $150 million in loans over 15years to Evanston for a massive upgradingof its combined sewer system.

IEPA is providing a $2 million WastewaterInfrastructure Revolving Loan to the RockRiver Water Reclamation District, for replace-ment of a pump station and force main to serveadditional homes in the Rockford area. (Left)Winnebago County Board Chairman ScottChristianson and Reclamation DistrictChairman Kent Logan joined IEPA DirectorScott in announcing the loan completion.

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Several of the “Top Twelve” winners in the 20th Annual Illinois EPA Poster, Poetry and Prose con-test for 5th and 6th grade students, joined IEPA Director Doug Scott at an awards ceremony in April.The contest is coordinated with the Agency’s environmental education guide, and this year’s contestfocused on litter prevention, waste reduction and recycling with “This Land is Our Land—-Don’tSpoil our Soil” as the theme. The young artists and writers were joined by families and teachers at theSpringfield reception where they received ribbons and certificates, U.S. Savings Bonds, and environ-mental reference books for their schools. The Top 12 entries are featured on the IEPA’s web site andwere on display at the Springfield headquarters. The Top Six written entries were submitted byVaniya Agrawal from Lisle Junior High School, Julia Condotti from St. Cletus Catholic School inBurr Ridge, Ruth Emmett Kahn from Countryside School in Urbana, Carmen Savage from A-CCentral Junior High in Ashland, Stephen Sullivan from Avery Coonley School in Western Springs,and Riley Williams from Herbert Hoover School in Schaumburg. The Top Six posters were submittedby Luke Brotherton from Kingsley Junior High School in Bloomington, Meagan Louise Finucanefrom St. Cletus Catholic School in LaGrange, Megan Helms from Tri-Valley Middle School inDowns, Dailea Powell from Edison School in Macomb, Vincent Rinaolo from East Lake Academy inLake Forest, and Zeke Snell from New Simpson Hill in Vienna.

Tayler McGillis of Toluca (right, being congratulatedby IEPA Director Doug Scott) was one of four 2007“Governor’s Green Youth Awards” winners recognizedat a ceremony in May at the Executive Mansion inSpringfield. Tayler built and maintains a bluebird trailat a local park. Others recognized were Keith CountryDay School in Rockford for a project to increase theusage of compact fluorescent lights, solar panel instal-lation, research on a green roof, as well as other energyawareness activities; Rhodes School District in RiverGrove for its extensive recycling and waste reductionand energy conservation projects; and Robert H.Richmond III of Lockport for a project to reduce theamount of surplus monofilament line improperly dis-carded by fishermen.

Youth and the Environment


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Travis Hansen of Dundee Crown High School inCarpentersville was one of four students chosenfor an IEPA Environmental Excellence Award inthe Senior Division at the State Science FairExposition in Champaign in May, for his projecton solar design. Also recognized were CameronHitchcock of Farnsworth School in Chicago for“Know Your Enemy”, Natalie Romano ofResurrection High School in Chicago for“Oil….A Dangerous Enemy,”, and StevenMichael Blair of Unity Point School inCarbondale for “Corn Waste: Is It a ViableSubstitute for Commercially Available PackingMaterials.” This year more than 1,000 studentsentered the Science Fair Exposition and about100 projects focused on environmental issuesand met the criteria for the IEPA special award.The “Outstanding Achievement” winning stu-dents received a $100 U.S. Savings Bond, aplaque and certificate.

Fourth graders at the annual Earth Stewardship Day at Watershed Park on the State Fairgrounds in Springfield on May 1 gotup close and personal with a flathead catfish held by Dan Stevenson with Illinois Department of Natural Resources Fisheriesas (back, left to right), IEPA director Doug Scott, Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke and State

Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias look on. More than 1,000 Sangamon County fourth graders participated in the 16th annualevent, which included 41 interactive presentations on the importance of protecting, restoring, recycling and reusing naturalresources. IEPA employees staffed seven of the stations, including the popular “Environmental Jeopardy” game in whichstudent volunteers compete against the clock and each other to correctly answer various environmental questions. TheIllinois Departments of Agriculture, Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Natural Resources, and Transportation also par-ticipated, as well as the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the City of Springfield. In keepingwith the focus on stewardship, students and teachers were asked to make sure lunches and beverages were “waste-free.”

Parade of trucks carries excavated soil from the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Dan Ryan Expressway Reconstruction Projectfor use in capping the Lake Calumet Cluster Sites.

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