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Williamson

County landfill issue to be revisited

BY JOHN D. HOMAN

Friday, June 6, 2008 11:24 PM CDT

Landfill issue to be revisited in Williamson County

THE SOUTHERN

MARION - Next week's Williamson County Board meeting will focus on developer Patrick Mazza's efforts to build a new landfill just east of the Crenshaw Road and Skyline Drive intersection near Marion.

Late last month, the board met in special session and voted unanimously to appeal the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's decision to issue a modified permit granted to Mazza and Marion Ridge Landfill for the purpose of building a construction waste landfill.

The county also hired former Herrin city attorney Kenneth Bleyer, who specializes in landfill cases, to serve as a consultant in the matter.

Bleyer said the 10 a.m. meeting on Tuesday will allow property owners near the site to weigh in with their thoughts, as well as any other residents or business owners who have a stake in the development. He explained that stakeholders have too frequently been left out of the discussion and the county aims to change that fact.

The issue of a landfill in Williamson County has been a point of discussion for the last 16 years.

Bill Kibler of Marion owned 358 acres of land that he planned to develop into a landfill. Through Kibler Development Corp., he proposed in April of 1992 to develop a recycling center, transfer station and landfill disposal site within a single solid waste management facility.

In November of 1992, the Williamson County Board granted Kibler's request for site approval.

A month later, a concerned citizens group, represented by Bleyer, filed a petition for review of the county board's decision with the Illinois Pollution Control Board.

The whole process stagnated for several years and finally made its way to the IEPA in Springfield in 2000. Two years later in 2002, Kibler sold the property, along with outstanding stock, to Marion Ridge Landfill for $472,000.

In 2004, the IEPA granted Marion Ridge Landfill its permit to build. That was soon blocked by the Federal Aviation Authority as it was determined that the site was too close to the Williamson County Regional Airport.

That forced the hand of the developer to make a modification to his permit with the IEPA so that the landfill could be used for construction waste rather than municipal waste, taking the FAA out of the equation. The IEPA granted that modified permit in April and the county board has appealed that decision, which is where things stand today.

Bleyer said that one concern is that the county board and other stakeholders were not properly notified of the IEPA decision to grant the permit modification.

"There's supposed to be a list of individuals to be contacted," Bleyer said. "But our concerns go well beyond permit modification. There's a whole host of issues."

Bleyer said the area around the site has changed dramatically in recent years.

"You have to take into consideration what's going on out there," he said. "That's one of the fastest-growing areas south of Sangamon County. To all of a sudden take what might have been an acceptable proposition in 1992 and apply it to today and the changes that have occurred is wrong."

Williamson County Board Chair Brent Gentry said he has spoken on several occasions with Mazza and has tried to get him to take a hard look at other potential landfill sites in the county where there is less development.

"I think it's just a money issue," he said. "It's about the money that he has invested at the site. Mr. Mazza can either come into the county and be a good neighbor or one that is not wanted. If he is allowed to build at the present site, it will definitely hurt economic development in the county."

john.homan@thesouthern.com

351-5805