Other area waste transfer stations can handle it, says expert opposing second one in West Chicago
After 15 hours of testimony, officials from Lakeshore Recycling Systems wrapped up their case for building a second waste transfer station in West Chicago.
Then midway through the fourth hearing on the issue Tuesday at Wheaton Academy, it became the opposition's turn to offer experts detailing why the proposal should not go forward.
John Lardner, an engineer with decades of experience in the waste industry, testified on behalf of Protect West Chicago, the main group opposing the proposed facility that would be located on Lakeshore's 28-acre parcel at 1655 Powis Road in West Chicago.
Lardner spoke about the lack of need for a second waste transfer station in West Chicago, which is one of the nine criteria LRS officials must satisfy to garner city council approval. While there's only one transfer station in DuPage County, Lardner noted 10 others in surrounding counties.
Lardner also said 7,944 daily tons of waste capacity are still available among the existing transfer stations.
"The amount that's being disposed in this service area, are there transfer stations that can handle it?" he said. "The answer is absolutely, yes."
During cross-examination, LRS attorney George Mueller argued Lardner's analysis didn't reflect pricing at the other transfer stations, mileage differences for the trucks, emissions or the competitive landscape, where Waste Connections and Waste Management operate the bulk of the transfer stations.
The hearings continue Thursday and likely into next week to allow for public comments. When the hearings conclude, the city council has until the middle of March to approve or deny the proposal.
Earlier in Tuesday's hearing, John Hock, the principal engineer representing LRS, concluded his testimony on the nine criteria dictated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Act.
Ricardo Meza, an attorney with Protect West Chicago, pressed Hock on safety issues regarding the proposed waste station's proximity to DuPage Airport. Hock said airport officials supported the plan.
In response to questions from city attorney Jerry Callaghan, Hock said LRS would accept requirements for truck tarping and facility doors being closed. LRS trucks leaving for the Atkinson, Ill., landfill, Hock said, would stick to a route going north on Powis, west on North Avenue, south on Kirk Road and west on Interstate 88.
Hock also defended the plan for wildlife and hazardous and unacceptable waste such as batteries and tires.
"We do have the right to stop a vehicle and force them to load it back up and take it back with them," Hock said. "My experience is that those situations are rare."