Sharing the cost makes garbage transport affordable

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In order to protect the health and safety of Grundy County residents, the Environtech Landfill is scheduled to close by the year 2013. The Environtech Landfill is on top of four different aquifers which serves our counties drinking water. Environtech Landfill also attracts hundreds of sea gulls to our Morris Airport which could create bird-plane collisions.

The present Grundy County Solid Waste Plan protects the health and safety of present and future generations by stating “No New or Expanded Landfill”.

The closing of Environtech will have no effect on any households whose garbage is not hauled to the Environtech Landfill. Communities such as Channahon, Minooka, Coal City and Diamond can and do have their garbage hauled to Will County. Companies such as Waste Management trucks are based out of Ottawa and Joliet which results in no additional cost to haul it out of the county.

The Environtech Landfill is owned by Allied Waste and they do use it. The estimated cost to transfer garbage out of Grundy County for the city of Morris could be 72 cents per household per month if taken to Ottawa, or $1.16 per household per month if taken to Pontiac. Allied Waste has the contract for Morris garbage pick up now, but may not in the future if they were to be higher priced than their competition. Allied Waste trucks are based out of Joliet.

The Grundy County Board and the city of Morris spent approximately $100,000 to object to a proposed landfill in Kendall County because it may pollute our counties aquifer and may attract Sea Gulls to our Morris Airport. The Environtech Landfill does both now.

The test wells on Environtech Landfill property prove the landfill is leaking. Industrial waste is hauled into our county from all over northern Illinois and Indiana. Of particular concern are the possible 130 different chemicals including radio active material that is believed to be in the landfill. No longer is our landfill limited to household waste.

There are photos showing hundreds of sea gulls near the Morris Airport runway that come from the Environtech Landfill. They feed at the landfill and live near the airport which is a hazard to planes, passengers and nearby grandstand or highway users.

I believe paying 72 cents to $1.16 per month to have our garbage hauled out of the county is well worth it.

The Grundy County Board should not change our present Grundy County Solid Waste plan that states “No new or expanded landfill.”

Below is the estimated cost to transfer garbage out of Grundy County (for the City of Morris) to Ottawa and Pontiac.

Miles round trip: Ottawa: 50; Pontiac: 80

Cost per truck at $2.50 per mile: Ottawa: $125; Pontiac, $200

Then, assuming two trucks per day, driving four days a week, 52 weeks per year:

Total Cost: Ottawa: $52,000; Pontiac: $83,200

This cost, split among 6,000 Morris households:

Cost per household per year: Ottawa: $8.66; Pontiac, $13.87

Cost per household per month: Ottawa: 72 cents; Pontiac: $1.16

This is cheap health insurance even if you add the basic cost of garbage pick up in Morris of $10.50 per month.

 

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