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Welcome to Zion Landfill

We’ve created this space for you to be able to follow the developments happening in the area, and for you to provide us with your feedback and suggestions. On this page you will find information about the landfill, hours of operation, current and upcoming projects, and plans and permits. Each section has the relevant documents attached to it for your perusal.

We want to hear from you

Please click this link for the site contact form should you wish to provide us with any feedback, complaints, or ask us any questions about Zion Landfill.

About the Landfill

Zion Landfill accepts municipal solid waste, contaminated soils, and special waste. Continually operated since 1981, the current landfill covers 317.9 acres and has a permitted disposal volume of 21,469,000 CY. The landfill services the areas of City of Zion, Lake County, Cook County, eastern McHenry County (including the following townships: Algonquin, Burton, Dorr, Grafton, Greenwood, Hebron, McHenry, Nunda and Richmond) and Kenosha County, Wisconsin.

Hours of Operation
Monday to Friday: 6:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Saturday: 7:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Closed on Sundays and major holidays.

Features and benefits
Key features of Zion Landfill are:

  • Permitted landfill under the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).
  • Engineered and constructed landfill base liner systems.
  • Controlled and documented waste stream.
  • Leachate collection, management, and disposal systems.
  • Landfill gas collection and management systems.
  • Surface water management controls such as berms, ditches, and sedimentation ponds.
  • Groundwater monitoring program.
  • Perimeter litter fencing.
  • Odor control system.
  • Engineered and constructed final cover liner systems.
  • USDA bird and wildlife management program.
  • Perimeter landfill gas monitoring system.
  • Ambient air monitoring system.
  • Security fenced facility.
  • Public disposal drop-off area.
  • Third-party consultants perform construction observation and documentation.
  • Third-party consultants complete monitoring system sampling, testing, and reporting.

The landfill provides many benefits to the community. These include:

  • Cost-effective disposal for local residents versus transportation of waste to remote landfills
  • Helping deter illegal dumping
  • Alternate uses for generated landfill gas such as electricity production and renewable natural gas (RNG)
  • Providing local employment opportunities
  • Acting as a part of the local tax base
  • Providing potential alternate land uses when the facility is closed
  • Environmental Education Resource

Current Landfill Conditions

Current Landfill Conditions

Projects

  • Annual New and Replacement Landfill Gas Well Installations
  • Annual LFG System and Controls Maintenance
  • Partial Site Closure and Final Cover System Installation
  • Screening Berm Construction (pending siting application and IEPA approvals)
  • Site 2 North Expansion Infrastructure (pending local siting application and IEPA approvals)
    • Sedimentation Basin Construction
    • Leachate Forcemain Installation
    • Employee Facility Entrance
    • Decommissioning Current Leachate Tank and Loadout Area
    • New Leachate Tank and Loadout Area Construction
    • Perimeter Road and Surface Water Control Construction
    • Perimeter Litter Fence Construction
    • Perimeter Security Fencing Installation
    • Landscaping and Additional Screening
    • New Landfill Gas Flare
    • New Maintenance Building
    • Landfill Gas Probes Installation
    • Groundwater Monitoring Wells Installation
  • Cell Excavation and Construction (pending local siting application and IEPA approvals)
  • Soil Stockpile Development and Management

Environmental Safeguards

Typical cell excavation with underdrain installation geocomposite installed (black material) and clay placement (on right).

Cell Construction – Clay liner installation completed.

Cell Construction – Drainage layer placement over installed geomembrane liner and cushion geotextile. Asphalt perimeter road being constructed.

Typical sideslope riser pipe vault and leachate forcemain manhole to extract and manage leachate collection in cell sumps.

Typical completed groundwater monitoring well and protective bollards.

Typical perimeter drainage ditch for surface water control and runoff to detention ponds. Perimeter litter fencing being installed along new cell construction.

Litter fence in operation along new cell operation.

Additional tall perimeter litter fencing along perimeter access road.

Odor control system misters along perimeter road and secured to fencing.

Typical surface water detention pond and discharge outlet structure.

Typical detention pond discharge structure drainage ditch and outlet.

Typical leachate holding tank and secondary containment structure with tanker truck loading with leachate for offsite disposal.

Typical landfill gas caisson well used during waste mass placement for landfill gas.

Typical completed landfill gas extraction well and wellhead prior to final cover installation.

Open “Candle Stick Style” flare used to burn collected landfill gas.

Site scale house and public drop-off area. Scale house operates two scales. Each scale has its own set of radiation detectors (white vertical pipes along the scales)

Typical waste truck weighing and load documentation at scale house.

Typical waste truck weighing in and registering at the automated scale.

Gated main entrance of the facility.

Gated employee entrance and typical site security fencing on 9th Street.

Perimeter fencing along Kenosha Road with odor control misters in background.

Permits and Plans

Graphs


Contact Us

We are always looking to improve our facility. Should you have any comments, suggestions or feedback regarding the operations or development of the landfill, please feel free to reach out to us using the form below.

    This form goes directly to our local landfill management team. For questions about our Zion Landfill please fill out the form below.

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