Landfill Can Expand By Cleaning Old Site

Allied Waste Industries plans to expand its Lowell construction and demolition landfill by approximately 55 acres, bringing the landfill within 1Ú4 mile of the Lowell town limits.

In return for a zoning change from the Lake County Plan Commission, Allied has agreed to clean up the deserted Feddeler landfill. Bob and Julie Feddeler, officers of the old landfill, went bankrupt and it never has been closed properly.

Terry Zona of Allied Waste Industries said that with the income from the proposed expansion, his company would be willing to do a $3-million to $4-million clean-up of the site.

“A slurry wall is the most economically feasible idea,” Zona said, “but until we have access to the site, we can’t say what option would be best.”

Jeff Langbehn, director of the Lake County Solid Waste Management District, received an e-mail from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management stating there were 500 barrels of hazardous waste from Spartan Chemicals, along with acrylonitrile and pesticides in the Feddeler landfill.

“Acrylonitrile, if spilled on your leg, will eat it off, ” Langbehn said.

The waste district estimates it would cost $50 million to exhume the waste and dispose of it properly. State Senator Sue Landske, R-Cedar Lake, has been concerned about contamination from the landfill for several years. She visited the site with two local farmers and witnessed a black tar substance leaking out.

“Those barrels will eventually rust,” Landske said. “It could pollute the groundwater all the way to Illinois.”

According to Indiana Department of Environmental Management spokesperson Amy Hartsock, no one has contacted IDEM about the proposed clean-up. IDEM has not given its OK to any plan.

Last Thursday, about 100 residents attended an informational meeting with Allied on a clean-up plan for the Feddeler landfill, Langbehn said. Allied asked West Creek Township residents to not remonstrate against the expansion if they are in favor of the clean-up. Gary (Indiana) Post Tribune