With hearings concluded, West Chicago waste transfer station debate headed to city council

Hearings on a proposed West Chicago waste transfer station concluded Thursday, placing the debate in the hands of the city council.

The last of seven sessions featured public comments on a plan from Lakeshore Recycling Systems officials to expand operations at their 28-acre parcel at 1655 Powis Road by adding the city's - and DuPage County's - second transfer station.

Following 30 days for the public to submit written comments, the city council has until the middle of March to approve or deny the proposal. Testimony finished earlier in the week for experts from LRS and Protect West Chicago, the main group opposing the plan.

After Kathy Leski, a 10-year West Chicago resident, opened Thursday's hearing by expressing her opposition to the new station, six LRS employees talked about the benefits of the facility expansion.

Leski disputed claims from LRS officials about the environmental effects, truck traffic to and from the facility, and operations within the complex.

She also questioned previous comments favoring the station, saying many of the speakers live outside of West Chicago and won't experience the impact.

"If those cities are interested in a waste transfer station and believe that should be done, and another one is needed in DuPage, then where are they in offering up land?" Leski said. "The only benefit to this station being in West Chicago is to LRS."

Among the speakers supporting the proposal was George Strom, a fourth-generation waste employee who worked for Roy Strom before it was sold to LRS. Now a vice president at LRS, Strom said the competitive landscape - where Waste Connections and Waste Management dominate the market - makes it critical for LRS to win approval for the transfer station.

"If we were not here to bid, who would be the company keeping the prices fair and competitive?" Strom said. "That might explain why so much attention and financial resources have been pumped into this hearing. I know firsthand what the opposition is going to do to keep smaller companies from securing a transfer station."

Derke Price, the hearing officer for the proposal, said Thursday that written comments must be postmarked by Feb. 18 to be included in the record. Findings by either side must be submitted by Feb. 21, and Price said he expects to submit his report to the city council by Feb. 24.