Ogle landfill company makes improvements, agrees to $100,000 settlement

CHICAGO — The state’s attorney general announced on Monday that the owner of an Ogle County landfill had made improvements to control air pollution and reached a $100,000 settlement over a lawsuit brought by the state in 2020.

Advanced Disposal Services operates Orchard Hills Landfill in Davis Junction. The company converted existing wells to improve the capture landfill gas and it installed gas collectors and additional piping. It also stopped accepting construction debris that contained drywall materials that generate hydrogen sulfide gas.

“Landfills operating in our state must be property maintained to limit off-site odors and ensure they are not impacting nearby communities,” said Kwame Raoul, attorney general, in a news release. “I appreciate Advanced Disposal Services’ cooperation to make significant improvements to college and control landfill gas and minimize impact to the surrounding community.”

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director John J. Kim said in the release that the settlement “addresses the concerns” it had raised.

Under the terms of the settlement, the company will pay the $100,000 civil penalty, monitor for odors and take corrective action if they are detected, and it will also respond to residents’ complaints.

According to the attorney general, the company has reduced daily waste acceptance from 7,000 tons to 2,500 tons.