The landfill expansion will have an estimated site life of 22 years based on projected intake figures. The expansion “footprint” for the landfill will be approximately 124 acres and will consist of a 67-acre northern expansion and a 57-acre western expansion. The overall facility campus will occupy approximately 433 acres. The expansion’s final design elevation will be a maximum of 875 feet above mean sea level, which ranges from approximately 135 to 165 feet above existing grade.

Today, truck traffic at the facility is approximately 20 trucks per hour. It is estimated that the expansion will add about five trucks per hour to the traffic at the landfill.

The Winnebago County Board was the siting authority for this expansion, approved in December 2005. That means it is the governmental body that will review and approve/deny the application. The County Board must follow strict procedural requirements set forth by the IEPA to review the expansion permit. In summary, the County Board reviewed the expansion permit against the nine criteria outlined under the Illinois Environmental Protection Act:

• Need
• Design
• Location compatible with surroundings
• Location outside the 100-year flood plain
• Safe operating plan
• Design that minimizes impact on local traffic
• Emergency response plan if the facility disposes of hazardous waste
• Consistency with the county solid waste plan
• Protection of local groundwater

The siting approval was received from the local siting authority (the County Board) in December 2005, the facility must then applied for a permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). This permit application will focus on the engineering issues in even greater detail, shifting the focus away from local suitability and compatibility issues.

Once an IEPA permit is received, facility construction may be completed. Upon completion of construction, documentation that the facility meets all criteria established within the Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) Program and the conditions of the permit will be submitted to the IEPA. The IEPA will review the CQA report to determine that the facility has been properly constructed and will grant operating authorization to begin accepting waste only if the facility construction meets the rigorous permitting and siting standards.

It should be noted that as each new area is developed, additional certification must be obtained from the IEPA. This process ensures that the facility is constantly subjected to technical review from the IEPA, thereby assuring the public that the facility will continue to be developed and operated in a safe and environmentally sound manner.