Community Corner

Village Shares New Landfill Report

Results from the newest tests at the Land and Lakes landfill, conducted by an engineering firm hired by the landfill's owners, indicate no phenols are present.

A summary report of the most recent tests conducted at the Land and Lakes landfill indicates that no phenols were detected on the site.

The study was conducted by Andrews Engineering, which was contracted by Land and Lakes. Results were presented July 13 to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and posted Wednesday on the website.

The new data was collected after the landfill’s owners requested more time to conduct studies on the site. The landfill, which closed in 1995, recently finished a 15-year monitoring period required by the IEPA. The agency will next determine whether the site requires further monitoring.

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If it rules that no additional monitoring is necessary, the site will be eligible for development. Buffalo Grove officials have expressed

According to the Andrews Engineering report, two temporary monitors were installed on the south side of the landfill on March 2. Test results came from those monitors, as well as the five previously existing ones.

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Village President Jeff Braiman said Monday that the contents of the report did not come as a surprise to him.

“The only indication that there ever has been a problem was the Shaw report,” he said, referring to a preliminary study commissioned in 2005 by the village. A subsequent study was never completed. Shaw director Devin Moose said last year that his firm never formed a conclusion or made a recommendation regarding the site.

“In the past two or three years, there has been no indication of toxins or phenols on that site,” Braiman said.

The new 106-page report is attached to this story (see PDF above).

Former trustee Lisa Stone, who brought the Shaw study to light last year and later urged the , said Wednesday that the latest report did not ease her concerns.

"I am not reassured by the Andrews report because my understanding is that they were hired by Land and Lakes, so I am weary of their objectivity. Further, they are the same company that excused the concerning findings last year and recommended closure," she said. "I believe that the IEPA did not accept Andrews' recommendation last year and the IEPA ordered gradient water testing, geology and hydrology tests, contrary to Andrews position. So, we must be skeptical of any conclusions and recommendations Andrews sets forth as they were hired by Land and Lakes and their allegiance is to Land and Lakes." 

The data is under review by an IEPA geologist, agency spokeswoman Maggie Carson said last week. She said the IEPA will not comment on the content of the report until that review is complete. No timeline for its completion has been established.

“[The geologist] will look at the process they used to put the wells in and collect the data … make sure that the analysis was done correctly and then she will review the results,” Carson said.

The IEPA will also look at the lab contracted by Land and Lakes to ensure its certification and that quality assurance measures were in place, Carson said.

Braiman said that while the July 13 report didn’t show cause for concern, the outcome of the situation is up to the IEPA.

“What will the IEPA do? I don’t know,” he said.

A decision from the IEPA as to whether post-closure monitoring will continue is scheduled for Oct. 12.


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