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Will County landfill consultants present horizontal and vertical expansion designs; leachate handling emphasized
Summary
Consultants told the Will County Landfill Committee they are pursuing both vertical and horizontal expansion options, described a phased berm and leachate diversion system, and said relocation of an on‑site soil stockpile remains unresolved pending talks with a neighboring party.
Marty Fallon of Geologic Associates told the Will County Landfill Committee the county is pursuing “two different expansion options simultaneously” for the county landfill — a simpler vertical raise and a more complex horizontal, piggyback expansion that would extend the permitted footprint.
Fallon described the horizontal design as two new cells placed adjacent to the existing landfill, with leachate collection graded toward two sumps on the northwest side. To separate new cells from existing waste, engineers designed a roughly 94‑foot phase‑delineation berm, graded to permit leachate piping to bend around the berm and be routed to perimeter extraction points. Fallon said the design also includes a 24‑inch SDR‑11 diversion pipe containing a 12‑inch inner pipe and a pulley system to allow pump removal and maintenance without interrupting leachate collection.
The consultant emphasized that the horizontal option requires moving a large on‑site soil stockpile. Outside counsel Chuck Helson told the committee prior negotiations with the adjacent party had been confidential and stalled, but he said he could reopen talks if the board directed him to do so. “We did have some discussions last year…at present it doesn't seem like there's much interest on their part,” Helson said, adding he could reinitiate discussions with their general counsel.
Committee members asked about sequencing and operation. Fallon said construction of a new cell would occur as the existing permitted capacity nears its limit and that field decisions would determine when to switch operations; he did not give a formal construction schedule.
No formal decision was made on the expansion at the meeting. Staff and consultants will continue design work and report back; relocation of the stockpile remains a gating issue for the horizontal option.
