Extra Lake Co. landfill gas triggers independent review

An increased gas odor from Countryside Landfill near Grayslake has prompted two local governments to combine on a request for an independent review of the operation.

Solid Waste Agency of Lake County, Lake County and the village of Grayslake announced Tuesday that a national environmental consulting firm will examine Waste Management Inc.'s efforts to stem the smell from the dump near routes 83 and 120.

While many of the complaints about excessive odor since September have come from the neighboring Prairie Crossing subdivision in Grayslake, the stench often has drifted south to Mundelein and east to Libertyville.

Waste Management has been building more gas collection wells to contain the stench. Omaha, Neb.-based HRD Inc. will be charged with reviewing Waste Management's work on behalf of Lake County and Grayslake.

"The findings of this independent review will tell us if Waste Management has appropriately addressed its gas management system so that it performs better in the future," Walter Willis, Solid Waste Agency of Lake County executive director, said in a statement.

Lake County recently cited Waste Management for the extra gas smell coming from Countryside Landfill. Waste Management spokesman William Plunkett couldn't be reached for comment.

Resident complaints about the increased landfill gas, lodged with the county health department, include sore throats, nausea, headaches and respiratory problems. Some residents fled Prairie Crossing on Thanksgiving Day when the stench became too much to take.

Complaints about Countryside's smell may be left on a 24-hour health department hotline at (847) 377-8096.

Lake County Health Department officials say they believe above-average precipitation from January through June helped create the landfill's foul smell. The atypical gas odor was produced from excess water becoming trapped the garbage.