Public Safety to be top Priority at Marion Ridge

Marion Ridge Landfill To Comply with

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Regulations

Marion, Ill., Aug. 19, 2008 . . . Officials at Marion Ridge Landfill today announced a partial list of stringent regulations the development will be required to follow. Various subchapters of Title 35 of the Illinois Administrative Code apply to landfills. Landfills in Illinois are among the most heavily regulated in the country, said spokesman Tom Emling. Citing regulations from around the United States, he noted that Illinois is among the leaders in protecting the environment for the safety of residents.

“In releasing the information, we want to underscore the fact that public safety is one of our primary concerns. In fact, unless we keep the public safe, we would not be in business. Comparing the Marion Ridge Landfill to a giant Zip Loc™ bag, Emling noted that whatever goes in, will not come out.

He said the initial step is to use a large plastic, waterproof geomembrane, in compliance with the Geosynthetic Research Institute’s Test Method, to cover the ground beneath where the waste will be laid. The geomembrane will minimize any leachate from entering the surface or ground water system as the result of a heavy rain. Leachate, which refers to any liquid that leaches through the waste, will be continuously monitored.

He noted that the only waste permitted into the landfill will be debris from construction or demolition of buildings, as well as special waste. No municipal solid waste or household garbage will be allowed into the landfill. “In fact, federal law prohibits us from even accepting what they call putrescible waste at Marion Ridge,” Emling said.

In addition to requiring an “earth/synthetic liner,” the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has issued extensive regulations for Construction Quality Assurance regarding drainage, collection management systems for leachate, gas control facilities, berms and lagoons and a final cover for waste.

IEPA regulations also call for onsite monitoring of compliance by a Quality Control Assurance Officer, testing, a clay liner over the waste, continual reporting of construction progress, engineering approval, boundary markers, testing in compliance with the American Society for Testing and Materials.

The IEPA prohibits operating conditions with water runoff, leachate entering state waters, burning, uncovered refuse remaining from previous day, and requires a daily covering of waste with EPA-approved materials to prevent blowing litter. In addition to municipal solid waste, various other wastes are strictly prohibited, including: lead-acid batteries, medical waste, PCB’s, used oil and other hazardous materials.

“The IEPA has covered every imaginable scenario from what can go into the landfill, how it is handled and what is prohibited. Landfills have been called one of the most heavily regulated industries in America,” Emling said. The list of requirements and prohibitions under Title 35 of the Illinois Administrative Code is more than 40 pages long covering areas such as: Operating Conditions; Special Waste (non-hazardous); Record Keeping; General Conditions; Surface Water Control; Leachate Monitoring; Groundwater Monitoring; Landfill Gas Management/Monitoring; Closure/Post Closure /Financial Assurance, and Reporting Requirements.

“If they missed anything, I’d sure be surprised,” Emling said.

Marion Ridge Landfill is owned facility by Kibler Development Corporation and operated by Marion Ridge Landfill, Inc..

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Editor’s Note: The Web site address for Title 35 is http://www.ipcb.state.il.us/SLR/IPCBandIEPAEnvironmentalRegulations-Title35.asp

For more information, please contact:

Jim Grandone Tom Emling

Grandone Public Relations Marion Ridge Landfill

(618) 692-1892 (618) 525-0155