Guest Column: Reasons to oppose expansion of Winnebago Landfill
By James and Donna Wernberg
As residents of southeast Winnebago County, we wish to be on record opposing the expansion of the landfill for the following reasons that must be considered.
• The smell from the current landfill is unbearable. We can smell it in our home with the windows closed. We live 2 miles from the landfill. We have smelled it on Perryville Road as far away as CherryVale. It totally affects our way of life.
• This would be a horrible entrance into Winnebago County on Highway 39 from the south. If this is such a wonderful entrance to Winnebago County, why are there not signs directing people to the airport from 39 and Baxter Road? Does the airport not want people from out of town traveling Baxter Road? Wouldn’t it be an easy way to get to the airport?
• We are tired of only hearing about the money it would generate. Shame on special-interest groups for thinking only of the money they would get. We are talking about air pollution and ground pollution for residents of Winnebago County. We have had enough of William Charles/Rockford Blacktop promises and expansion.
• In the County Board Chairman’s State of the County announcement for his State of County luncheon, Scott Christiansen states, “[He] continually works to improve the quality of life for ALL citizens.” This will be totally not true if he and the board approve the expansion.
• There are many students who attend the outdoor education program in Atwood Park. We have been in Atwood hundreds of times, and the smell is awful and must be detrimental to the children.
• We have the beautiful Kishwaukee River that must not be polluted. I am sure the hikers around the area and canoeists must be affected by the smell. It deters from the beauty.
• Shame on each county board member who votes for the expansion only because of the money it brings to them. It will affect you and every member of Winnebago County.
• People coming to the airport will surely smell the landfill. In an article in the paper, it was stated that 65 percent of the people using the airport come from out of town. At least one-fourth of those people will be coming from the south.
• Perhaps one reason Embry Riddle did not locate here is because of the smell.
• Rockford is already on several lists of the worst city to live. Is this going to help?
• Bringing in garbage from all over is ruining our county. Life means a lot more than money.
• Is Kilbuck Creek polluted?
• The property values in our area and all of Winnebago County will decrease. Who wants to move here?
• Industry will never want to invest along the 39 corridor. Would you start a business there? THERE WILL BE NO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE, MR. CHRISTIANSEN AND BOARD.
• The hours of service will be expanded to 24 hours a day.
• Do not vote until you take a trip down Baxter Road to see and smell what we are talking about. You will smell it long before you get to Baxter Road.
• If this is approved by the board, there will be a 200-foot high, 400-acre tombstone for Winnebago County with all of the county board members’ names on it. Long after we are all gone, it will still be there for our children and grandchildren to see. Please vote NO on the expansion.
James and Donna Wernberg are residents of south east Winnebago County.
From the April 25-May 1, 2012, issue
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4 Comments
DRYWALL COVER-UP?
1. Hydrogen sulfide is an extremely toxic gas. It has a similar toxicity as hydrogen cyanide. Hydrogen cyanide is used in a gas chamber. They don’t use hydrogen sulfide in gas chambers because it smells so badly.
2. The Winnebago Landfill accepted 1000’s of tons of drywall from 2006 until 2009. Four tons of drywall will produce one ton of hydrogen sulfide gas. The Landfill emission of hydrogen sulfide will continue for many, many years. How many homes were built near the Winnebago Landfill after 2008 when the drywall began to produce the toxic gas hydrogen sulfide?
3. The EPA recommends a chronic inhalation exposure level of 1.4 parts per billion ‘not parts per million, but parts per billion.’ This means that detrimental health effects will occur at 1.5 ppb and will have even a more serious effect upon children and the elderly. The following are excerpts from the paper “The Delicate Balance by Dr. Aubrey J. Serewicz” (pertains to the Dekalb County’s Waste Management Landfill):
“ Every molecule of H2S eliminates one molecule of Copper within the child’s liver. There is no immunity to H2S, there is only reserve. The Copper in the liver helps to build white blood cells and to construct strong blood vessels.” and “The landfill adults showed an average Copper concentration of 9.75 ug/g,
while adults living at least 3 miles away tested at 29 ug. In addition, all of the landfill adults had critical
cardiovascular problems.”
4. Has the Winnebago Landfill tested its landfill workers hair for its copper concentration? ( hair analysis is an inexpensive copper test)
5. In my opinion, The Winnebago Landfill has intentionally misled the public concerning their health and safety pertaining to the chronic inhalation of hydrogen sulfide toxic gas by posting a ‘FACT SHEET on ODOR CONTROL’ in January 2010 on their website. A ‘FACT SHEET’ must be also a ‘TRUTH SHEET’. Here is an excerpt of that ‘FACT SHEET’:
‘Do the Odors Pose a Health or Safety Risk?
No. The odor associated with the material deposited in the landfill and the landfill
gas is not harmful at the levels present outside of the landfill. The Winnebago
Landfill regularly monitors the concentrations of gasses at the surface of landfill and the area surrounding the landfill. The odor associated with hydrogen sulfide can be unpleasant, but the levels surrounding the landfill are below the detection limit of the instruments that we use to measure the concentrations. Since the levels are not detectable there is absolutely no health or safety risk of any kind.’
6. There has been an environmental scientist, that has repeatedly requested the Winnebago Landfill to offer for public view, peer reviewed scientific published papers as evidence to substantiate the claim above. The Winnebago Landfill has not provided any such substantiating evidence.
7. According to Sec. 39.2 “(ii) the facility is so designed, located and proposed to be operated that the public health, safety and welfare will be protected;”
In my opinion, the Winnebago Landfill has intentionally violated the section above by publishing its “FACT SHEET on ODOR CONTROL”. Remember “absolutely no health or safety risk of any kind.”
8. The Winnebago Landfill has not published for public view any quantitative tested values for hydrogen sulfide gas. Does the Winnebago Landfill not wish to have the public aware that the hydrogen sulfide gas concentration is greater than the EPA recommended chronic inhalation concentration of 1.4 parts per billion? The Winnebago Landfill has admitted that they have recorded positive results for Hydrogen Sulfide at the boundary of the Landfill property. They recorded positive readings between 30 and 70 parts per billion.
Is the Winnebago Landfill “FACT SHEET” a lie? You decide.
Which entity is correct the EPA or the Winnebago Landfill? You decide.
9. A landfill permit comes with conditions that must be adhered to. Has the Winnebago Landfill adhered to those conditions? You decide.
10. In my opinion, the Winnebago Landfill has no right to ask the IEPA let alone the County board for a landfill extension. In fact, in my opinion , the Winnebago Landfill is in violation of its current permit by not justifying the statements in their ”FACT SHEET on ODOR CONTROL”.
11. All points above are my opinion.
DRYWALL COVER-UP?
1. Hydrogen sulfide is an extremely toxic gas. It has a similar toxicity as hydrogen cyanide. Hydrogen cyanide is used in a gas chamber. They don’t use hydrogen sulfide in gas chambers because it smells so badly.
2. The Winnebago Landfill accepted 1000’s of tons of drywall from 2006 until 2009. Four tons of drywall will produce one ton of hydrogen sulfide gas. The Landfill emission of hydrogen sulfide will continue for many, many years. How many homes were built near the Winnebago Landfill after 2008 when the drywall began to produce the toxic gas hydrogen sulfide?
3. The EPA recommends a chronic inhalation exposure level of 1.4 parts per billion ‘not parts per million, but parts per billion.’ This means that detrimental health effects will occur at 1.5 ppb and will have even a more serious effect upon children and the elderly. The following are excerpts from the paper “The Delicate Balance by Dr. Aubrey J. Serewicz” (pertains to the Dekalb County’s Waste Management Landfill):
“ Every molecule of H2S eliminates one molecule of Copper within the child’s liver. There is no immunity to H2S, there is only reserve. The Copper in the liver helps to build white blood cells and to construct strong blood vessels.” and “The landfill adults showed an average Copper concentration of 9.75 ug/g,
while adults living at least 3 miles away tested at 29 ug. In addition, all of the landfill adults had critical
cardiovascular problems.”
4. Has the Winnebago Landfill tested its landfill workers hair for its copper concentration? ( hair analysis is an inexpensive copper test)
5. In my opinion, The Winnebago Landfill has intentionally misled the public concerning their health and safety pertaining to the chronic inhalation of hydrogen sulfide toxic gas by posting a ‘FACT SHEET on ODOR CONTROL’ in January 2010 on their website. A ‘FACT SHEET’ must be also a ‘TRUTH SHEET’. Here is an excerpt of that ‘FACT SHEET’:
‘Do the Odors Pose a Health or Safety Risk?
No. The odor associated with the material deposited in the landfill and the landfill
gas is not harmful at the levels present outside of the landfill. The Winnebago
Landfill regularly monitors the concentrations of gasses at the surface of landfill and the area surrounding the landfill. The odor associated with hydrogen sulfide can be unpleasant, but the levels surrounding the landfill are below the detection limit ofthe instruments that we use to measure the concentrations. Since the levels are not detectable there is absolutely no health or safety risk of any kind.’
6. There has been an environmental scientist, that has repeatedly requested the Winnebago Landfill to offer for public view, peer reviewed scientific published papers as evidence to substantiate the claim above. The Winnebago Landfill has not provided any such substantiating evidence.
7. According to Sec. 39.2 “(ii) the facility is so designed, located and proposed to be operated that the public health, safety and welfare will be protected;”
In my opinion, the Winnebago Landfill has intentionally violated the section above by publishing its “FACT SHEET on ODOR CONTROL”. Remember “absolutely no health or safety risk of any kind.”
8. The Winnebago Landfill has not published for public view any quantitative tested values for hydrogen sulfide gas. Does the Winnebago Landfill not wish to have the public aware that the hydrogen sulfide gas concentration is greater than the EPA recommended chronic inhalation concentration of 1.4 parts per billion? The Winnebago Landfill has admitted that they have recorded positive results for Hydrogen Sulfide at the boundary of the Landfill property. They recorded positive readings between 30 and 70 parts per billion.
Is the Winnebago Landfill “FACT SHEET” a lie? You decide.
Which entity is correct the EPA or the Winnebago Landfill? You decide.
9. A landfill permit comes with conditions that must be adhered to. Has the Winnebago Landfill adhered to those conditions? You decide.
10. In my opinion, the Winnebago Landfill has terminated its right to ask the IEPA let alone the County board for a landfill extension. In fact, in my opinion , the Winnebago Landfill is in violation of its current permit by not justifying the statements in their ”FACT SHEET on ODOR CONTROL”.
11. All points above are my opinion.
You are missing the point. Imagine this; at every road going into Winnebago County, there will be a billboard stating, WELCOME TO WINNEBAGO COUNTY…GARBAGE CAPITAL OF ILLINOIS. Then at the bottom, in italics, will be our slogan, “You make it! We take it!”
Imagine all the positive press we will get!
90% of the proposed landfill extension boundary on Baxter and Harrisville Roads have residents and property owners on land and houses that their own ancestors purchased from 1860’s to 1950’s. Way before the 1972 garbage dump. We have history that is hard to leave..trees, pets, buildings. We are losing this because temporary jobs are needed. Can anyone out there just once say thank you to us for our sacrifice? Our hearts are breaking.