:CA2 01:May Office of Community Relations May 2001 Illinois P.O. Box 19276 Environmental Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276 Protection Agency Fact Sheet #1 Rhodes Landfill may 0 1 2001 Decatur, Illinois Background ILLINOIS STATE LIBRARY Operation of the Rhodes priVarit°MnVtmcd(rn/°d'^^^^^ debris, alth^gh foundry wastes, Bowshier Lane. This 16-acre iandfill held pnmarily construcuo^^^^^ ^ general refuse and other ma enals 1992 A closure plan submitted by the owner, langamon River. The landfill994 bu^ never implemented. The State of Illinois Mr. Charles Rhodes, was aPProved gep, legal notice to the owner explaining our intentions, assurance for the bottom liner finar|C|al '®®Xerosbn c°vai ®od :arof::r:S rarre “e^rgrc^rs . a given iandfiii. Lake Tokorozawa, a stocked fishery, is jooated ^ been stored at the Tan* S the' reriSo^EPAtmendTto ^^ire that the owner remove these prior to the beginning of construction work on the cap in spring 2002. u f ^ rio In 1QQ8 Illinois EPA compiled a list of landfill sites that are considered How will this project be funded. n , ,|,reats and in need of clean up. Illinois EPA fro^^ requeste^Tunds the state legislature to do the necessary work nn^thp worst of these sites. Governor Ryan and Illinois lawmakers included $50 million in the 1999 Illinois F'^ST Program for addressing problems posed by 33 of the state's worst landfills. Illinois FIRST provides $10 million per year for five years. > Survey the property; define the waste boundaries What is the scope of the work to > Investigate contamination in sediments and water be done at the site? > Evaluate the need for stream bank stabilization > Perform an Ecological Assessment > Build a clay or synthetic cap on the landfill > Manage storm water drainage > Establish a vegetative cover Thp ooal is to define what construction work needs to be done to What is the goal of the current safely cap the landfill so that it is stable and won't work? leachate or erode. At the end of this summer s investigation, we should know what specific steps are prepare for the cap, apply soil layers and establish vegetation. 1 Printed on Recycled Paper UNIVE1 RSITY1 OFI IILIL IN1O IS-URBANA 1 II III 3C C is: < 92 M What is the time line for This summer, the contractor for the State of Illinois will work with the accomplishing the above work? Illinois EPA project manager to assess the slopes, the adequacy of the cap material, the lateral extent of waste and the condition of the riverbank. They will take environmental samples (soil, sediment, leachate and surface water). Results from the investigation will be submitted in a report by the end of the summer. The design work plar for the construction of the cap is due mid-December, and construction work is expected to begin in spring 2002. What information does Illinois We have limited information so far from results of sampling leachate EPA have about contamination at and the river. Besides normal metals that one would expect to find in the landfill? soils, we saw evidence of two families of chemicals - volatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Volatile organic chemicals are found in cleaning solvents, paints and strippers. PAHs occur naturally in coal, crude oil and gasoline and products made from these. They are released during the burning of fossil fuels, garbage or other organic substances. My children sometimes play Generally, risks from exposure to contaminants at a landfill site would along the Sangamon River, be greatest for trespassers who go onto the site and may have direct Should I be concerned that they contact with contamination such as leachate material. So far, Illinois may have contacted leachate EPA has no information that would cause concern about using the material seeping into the river? river. For further information, you may contact: Carol Fuller, Community Relations Coordinator John Richardson, Project Manager Illinois EPA, Office of Community Relations Illinois EPA, Bureau of Land, State Sites P.O. Box 19276 P.O. Box 19276 Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276 Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276 217/524-8807 217/782-0243 [email protected]. us [email protected]. us 2 Printed on Recycled Paper Printed by Authority of the State of Illinois Apr-2001 31451 75