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.
Site and Educational Tours
General site and educational tours are available upon request. Please contact Zion Landfill at 847.599.5923 to arrange a tour.
About the Landfill
Zion Landfill accepts municipal solid waste, contaminated soils, and special waste. Continually operated since 1981, the current landfill has a permitted facility boundary of 441.9 acres and a permitted volume increase of 12,726,000 CY with the recent Site 2 North Expansion. 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 – 3:30 PM
Saturday: 6:00 AM – 10:30 AM
(Citizen Drop-off) Monday – Friday: 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM
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
Community Stakeholders
- City of Zion, IL
- Village of Winthrop Harbor, IL
- Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO)
- Lake County, IL
- Cook County, IL
- McHenry County, IL
- Kenosha County, WI
- Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (LCSMC)
- Lake County Department of Transportation (LCDOT)
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
- Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA)
- US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Zion Landfill, Inc.
- GFL Environmental, Inc.
Current Landfill Conditions
Current, Planned, and Future Construction Projects
Current Planned (but not guaranteed) Construction Projects for 2026:
- Gas Control and Collection System (GCCS) Construction – Continued extension of existing landfill gas (LFG) extraction wells with additional header and lateral piping as needed during waste mass placement and site operation.
- Landfill Gas (LFG) Treatment System Construction – Spring through late fall. Continual GCCS system improvements for LFG management.
- Cell 11 base liner construction – This project is the first base liner construction for the permitted expansion extending the existing composite soil and geosynthetic liner system and is approximately 11.7 acres. Base liner construction includes excavation, geosynthetic underdrain collection system (as applicable), 5-foot recompacted clay liner comprised of onsite soils from excavation, installation of a 60-mil high density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane liner; and leachate collection system including cushion geotextile, granular drainage media, collection piping and a sump. Construction will continue through late spring.
- Cell 12 excavation – Excavate and stockpile in-situ soils from within the cell construction limits. Excavation is anticipated from mid-spring through early fall.
- Litter fencing – New litter fencing will be installed along the perimeter of Cell 11 and the overlay for control of litter resulting from waste placement during windy conditions. Fencing anticipated to be installed in late Spring.
Future Construction Projects:
- Continued GCCS system updates and modifications.
- Cell construction as needed. Cell timing is based upon operating waste tonnage and operational access.
- New maintenance building construction on north end of Site 2 North Expansion.
- Soil stockpile
- Litter fencing and odor control extensions as cell construction progresses to the north.
- Partial site closure and final cover installation.
Environmental Safeguards
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Groundwater Monitoring
Methane Monitoring
Collected and Treated LFG Flows
Air Quality Management Plan
Permits and Plans
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- Most recent Bureau of Air (BOA), Bureau of Land (BOL) and Bureau of Water (BOW) permits.
- Vegetative Plan for Perimeter of the Landfill.
- IEPA – BOL Development Permit Application for Site 2 North Expansion, dated July 18, 2022 and Reponses
- Cover Letter
- Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Section 1 -IEPA-Forms
- Section 2
- Section 2.0 – Introduction
- Section 2.1 – Location
- Section 2.2 – Hydrogeologic Investigation
- Section 2.3 – Design
- Section 2.4 – Stormwater Management Plan
- Section 2.5 – Construction Quality Assurance Plan
- Section 2.6 – Operating Plan
- Section 2.7 – Groundwater Impact Assessment
- Section 2.8 – Environmental Monitoring Program
- Section 2.9 – Closure and Post-Closure Care Plan
- Geologic Drawings
- Design Drawings
- Appendices
- Appendix A – IEPA Compliance Summary Table
- Appendix B – IEPA Permit History
- Appendix C – Host Agreements.pdf
- Appendix D – Plat of Survey, Legal Descriptions, and Property Control
- Appendix E – Emergency Response Program
- Appendix F – Location Standards
- Appendix G – Hydrogeologic Investigation
- Appendix H – In-Situ Hydraulic Conductivity Test Data
- Appendix I – Laboratory Geotechnical Data
- Appendix J – Geotechnical Analyses
- Appendix K – Leachate Collection System
- Appendix L – Landfill Gas
- Appendix M – Stormwater Management
- Appendix N – Quantities
- Appendix O – Construction Quality Assurance
- Appendix P – Groundwater Impact Evaluation
- Appendix Q – Environmental Monitoring
- Appendix R – Operating Plan
- Appendix S – Closure Post-Closure Plan
- IEPA – BOL Development Permit Application for Site 2 North Expansion, Supplemental Information
- Proposed CQA Plan Revision – Pipe Pressure Testing, July 6, 2022
- Determination of Incompleteness Response, August 18, 2022
- Draft Denial Response, March 6, 2023
- Draft Denial Response, September 8, 2023
- Partial Draft Denial Response, March 7, 2024
- Draft Denial Response, July 17, 2024
- Additional Information – Correction
- IEPA Modification Numbers
- Most recent version of the following environmental safeguard plans:
Supplemental Site Information
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.
